The Odisha Government has circulated an official notification instructing reopening of schools from Feb 28 for classes 1-7.
This comes after a series of postponements of reopening dates for Odisha Schools. Earlier schools were supposed to reopen from Feb 10, which was postponed until Feb 14. The change is primarily due to the upcoming Panchayat elections in Odisha.
Explaining the move to restart physical classes Suresh Chandra Mohapatra said, "The educational institutions were shut earlier due to the third wave of the Covid-19 variant Omicron. However, with the Covid situation improving in the state, as we have seen, unlike the first wave and second wave, there were fewer cases of hospitalisation during the third wave."
"Similarly, the daily positivity rate has also come down. We have vaccinated a large number of teenagers between 15 to 18 years in the ongoing inoculation drive. Considering demands from various quarters to reopen educational institutions, the crucial decision has been taken," he explained further.
The schools will follow strict COVID protocols and students between the ages of 15-18 are expected to be vaccinated.
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Source: India Today
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