Maharashtra schools may shut again if Omicron cases keep rising, says Gaikwad: Report

NEW DELHI: Maharashtra schools which recently resumed physical classes after a long gap owing to COVID-19 pandemic, may shut again due to increasing cases of Omicron in the state, school education minister Varsha Gaikwad said, as per ANI.

“Maharashtra | If Omicron cases continue to rise, we may take a call to shut the schools again. We are monitoring the situation: School Education minister Prof. Varsha Eknath Gaikwad to ANI,” the news agency said in a tweet.

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Schools for Classes 1 to 7 in Mumbai reopened on December 15, instead of December 1. Mumbai school reopening date was postponed in wake of new COVID-19 variant, Omicron.

Majority of the schools in Pune city and adjoining Pimpri Chinchwad town in Maharashtra reopened on December 16 for Classes 1 to 7.

The Maharashtra Cabinet had allowed reopening of schools for Classes 1 to 4 in rural areas and 1 to 7 in urban areas in the state from December 1.

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The state resumed physical classes for classes 5 to 12 in rural areas and for classes 8 to 12 in urban areas of the state.

Meanwhile, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) allowed the authorities in the Delhi-NCR to resume physical classes for students of class 6 and above, colleges and other educational institutions with immediate effect.

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Several private schools in Delhi reopened on December 18 after being closed due to high pollution levels, even as a few schools decided to start from January 3.

The CAQM further said that states can decide on resuming offline teaching for junior classes – for students of Class 5 and below – from December 27 and that such decisions must factor in the prevailing air quality and pollution levels on the AQI and the winter vacation schedule.