Delhi government schools will remain closed until further notice amid an increase in their daily Covid cases.
New Delhi:
All schools in Delhi will remain closed until further orders in light of the COVID-19 situation, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio, said today. He added that even parents are not in favor of resuming regular classes.
On October 5, the Delhi government announced that all schools in the city-state would remain closed until October 31, when the decision would be reviewed.
The reiteration comes as Delhi experiences a further increase in Covid cases. Yesterday, the national capital registered a record number of new infections: 4,853. The spike in local cases has worried people in Delhi, where pollution adds to the looming threat in winter and can represent laxity during festival season.
“We keep getting feedback from parents that they are really concerned about whether it is safe to reopen schools. It is not (safe to reopen). Wherever schools have reopened, COVID-19 cases among children have increased. As of now, schools in Delhi will not reopen. They will continue to be closed until new orders are received, “Sisodia said in an online address today.
Universities and schools across the country, including Delhi, have been closed since March 16, when the central government announced the closure of classrooms across the country as part of measures to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.
In addition to the increase in local cases, the decision also comes as states such as Mizoram and Karnataka suspend regular classes due to an increase in students contracting COVID-19.
Many states, such as Delhi, have kept the decision on hold, while some, such as UP and Punjab, have started to run classes for seniors in batches. Private schools in these states, however, remain closed after parents said no.
Parental consent and no obligation to attend are among the statutes mentioned in the “Unlocking 5” guidelines governing the reopening of schools.
(With contributions from the agency)
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