Decision to reopen schools in July after assessing the coronavirus situation, Center says

New Delhi:

The government said today that schools, colleges, training centers and other educational institutions will reopen after discussing the coronavirus situation with states and Union Territories in July.

“Schools, colleges, educational, training and coaching institutions will be opened … after consultation with the states and UTs (Union Territories). State governments and UT administrations may hold consultations at the institution level with parents and other stakeholders. Based on the comments, a decision will be made on the reopening of these institutions in July 2020, “the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

The Ministry of Health will make a list of standard operating procedures in consultation with other ministries and departments related to education to ensure social distancing and contain the spread of COVID-19, the government said in the statement today.

The Interior Ministry said all activities will be allowed in areas outside the containment zones, except for select ones like shopping malls and restaurants that will reopen in phases and some of which have yet to be made.

All containment zones will be closed until June 30 and only essential services will be allowed, the government said.

All schools and colleges closed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the closure in late March.

Parents are also concerned that the reopening of schools and universities before the pandemic is considered to be contained could be risky for their children. Medical experts have warned that children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus, which attacks the lungs.

Summer break has already started at schools across the country in the middle of the shutdown. Until now, hundreds of schools have been taking online classes via video conference, including for daycare and play schools.

The central boards of education have had to defer the dates of their exams.

India reported the largest jump in a single day in the number of new coronavirus patients and those who died from the highly infectious disease with 7,964 new cases and 265 deaths reported in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 1.73,763 cases, according to data shared by the Ministry of Health this morning.

The country has registered 4,971 deaths since the pandemic began. More than 80,000 patients have recovered so far. Of these, a record number of 11,264 patients recovered in the past 24 hours.