COVID-19: Goa govt extends closure of schools, colleges till February 15

NEW DELHI: The Goa government has extended the closure of schools and colleges owing to the persisting COVID-19 cases in the state. “Schools, colleges and other institutions of higher education will remain closed in Goa till February 15, 2022, however, teachers are permitted to attend schools for conducting online classes,” said an order released by the revenue secretary Sanjay Kumar.

The order gave an exemption for higher education institutions by letting them open campus for conducting exams. The order also said that violation of the restrictions imposed will be “punished under section 188 of the Indian penal code and section 51 to 60 of the disaster management act, 2005.”

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Goa had previously closed schools and colleges from January 3 till January 26 due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in the state as per the decision of the task force chaired by chief minister Pramod Sawant.

The Goa government further allowed casinos to function with 50 per cent capacity, adhering to all COVID protocols, allowing entry to only asymptomatic guests and staff who are fully vaccinated or have an RT-PCR negative report. Similarly, cinema halls, river cruises, waterparks and other entertainment parks are also allowed to function with half of their capacity as per the order.

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Goa recorded 1,582 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday with 8 fatalities. As of January 23, Goa has 19725 active COVID cases in the state, says the data released by the Goa health department.