COVID-19: Madrasas classes suspended in Lakshadweep, number of passengers coming in ships restricted

KAVARATTI: In view of the emerging COVID-19 situation, the Lakshadweep administration on Saturday decided to close madrasas up to Class 9 with immediate effect among other educational institutions and restrict the number of passengers in the ships to and fro the island to ensure social distancing norms.

All the passenger ships-HSC vessels under the Lakshadweep administration operating from islands to Kochi and for inter-island movement shall operate with 50 per cent passenger capacity to ensure proper social distancing until further orders, district collector S Asker Ali said in an order. The full medical quota tickets can be released to all passenger ships, the order stated quoting him.

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"Physical classes of all madrasas up to 9th standard, Islamic nurseries, LGK, UKG, tuition centres, etc. in UT of Lakshadweep are suspended with immediate effect," it said. The order also said all persons who desire to travel from one island to another island have to mandatorily get an RT-PCR or True Nat negative certificate from the health department. They would be allowed to travel only with prior approval from the incident commanders of the island concerned provided that they are not primary contacts of any COVID-19 positive person on the island, it said.

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The department of port, shipping and aviation shall issue travel tickets only to such persons whose names are recommended by the district disaster management authority - incident commanders of the island, the order added.