DDMA panel recommends schools’ phase-wise reopening in Delhi
Delhi reports 35 Covid-19 cases, 1 fatality in last 24 hrs; toll mounts to 25,080
An expert committee set up by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has recommended phase-wise reopening of schools in the national capital, according to sources.
In its report submitted on Wednesday, the panel has recommended that schools be reopened for all classes but senior wing students be called in the first phase followed by middle class students and ultimately primary classes, they said.
“The panel has submitted its report today. The recommendations include reopening of schools for all classes but in a phasewise manner. The report will be studied in detail and a final decision will be taken soon in this regard,” a source said. Currently, students of classes 10, 11 and 12 can visit schools for admission and boardexam related activities, with consent of parents.
Noting that there is no harm now in reopening schools in the national capital, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal had on August 6 asked officials to set up an expert committee to chalk out a detailed plan. The committee was set up after Deputy CM Manish Sisodia told the DDMA in a meeting chaired by Baijal that at least 90 per cent of the parents, who attended the mega parent-teacher meeting (PTM) at government schools that was held between July 19 and 31, had voted in favour of reopening the schools.
Sisodia had also noted in the meeting that school closures for over a year has led to a major loss of learning.
The committee was tasked with finalising a detailed SOP, assessing preparedness of schools, vaccination of teaching and non teaching staff and addressing concerns of parents.
Schools in the national capital were ordered shut last year in March ahead of a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus.
While several states started partial reopening of schools in October last year, the Delhi government allowed physical classes only for grades 9-12 in January this year, which were again suspended following the exponential rise in Covid-19 cases during the aggressive second wave.
The Delhi government had also allowed auditoriums and assembly halls in schools to be used for training and meeting purposes, but physical teaching and learning remain suspended.
Delhi reported 35 Covid19 cases and one fatality due to the disease on Wednesday, according to data shared by the city health department. According to a bulletin issued by the department, 86 Covid-19 patients were discharged from city hospitals in the last 24 hours and the positivity rate stands at 0.05 per cent.
With the new cases, Delhi’s Covid-19 tally has climbed to 14,37,550, of which 14,12,081 patients have either recovered, migrated or have been discharged. The death toll due to the viral disease has gone up to 25,080 and the case fatality rate stands at 1.74 per cent, the bulletin said. Of the 12,036 beds in city hospitals for Covid patients, only 249 are occupied, it added.