COVID-19: Goa task force gives nod to reopen schools for classes 1 to 8 from November 22

PANAJI: The Goa government's task force on COVID-19 on Tuesday recommended starting in-person classes for students of grades 1 to 8 from November 22 with safety protocols.

A meeting of the task force, chaired by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, took stock of the existing COVID-19 situation in the state before giving a go ahead for reopening schools for students of classes 1 to 8.

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Talking to reporters after the meeting, Sawant said though the task force has recommended reopening of schools for offline classes, the state government will take a final call after considering logistic issues. In-person teaching sessions in schools for students of classes 9 to 12 are already on in the state.

The CM said he has asked the education department to provide details of schools which have more than 1,000 students. “I have asked the department to submit a plan on how they will manage such a large number of students,” he said. The department will have to provide details of infrastructure available in these schools before going ahead with their reopening, Sawant said. He said when schools reopen all SOPs related to COVID-19 will have to followed by managements.

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Dean of Goa Medical College and Hospital Dr Shivanand Bandekar, a member of the task force, said the COVID-19 positivity rate in Goa has consistently remained below 1 per cent, which prompted them to suggest reopening of schools. Positivity rate is the percentage of people who test positive for the virus out of those who have been tested. “Schools and students will have to follow COVID-19-appropriate behaviour,” he said.

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The CM said the state Directorate of Health Services has been asked to design standard protocols for students. As many as 23 persons tested positive for coronavirus, while 20 recovered from the infection in Goa on Tuesday, an official said. With this, the tally of infections has reached 1,78,533, while the recoveries stood at 1,74,905 in Goa, where 3,376 coronavirus patients have died so far.