Regular school for Classes 1-5 in Nagaland from March 22

KOHIMA: The Nagaland government has decided to allow schools to reopen for classes 1-5 following reports of improvement in the COVID-19 situation in the state, senior minister Neiba Kronu said on Friday.

However, the date from which classroom teaching will resume for primary students has not yet been fixed. The administration has also approved the reopening of theatres, exhibitions, gyms, cinema halls, sports complexes and other public places immediately, the minister said.

The High Powered Committee on COVID-19, headed by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, during its meeting held on Thursday allowed the reopening of primary schools for students of Classes 1 to 5, HPC Spokesperson and Planning and Coordination Minister Neiba Kronu told PTI.

A notification along with a detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) will be issued by the School Education Department in consultation with the Health and Family Welfare Department within the next 10 days, said Kronu who is also the minister for land revenue and parliamentary affairs. Students of class 6 and above have started going to school since February 8. Schools in the state were closed since March last year when the lockdown was imposed.

The HPC decided to resume classroom teaching for primary students and reopen public places as the COVID-19 situation has improved in Nagaland and restrictions are being relaxed further. The number of active coronavirus cases now stands at 10 and the recovery rate is 97.92 per cent as of Thursday. The state has a total caseload of 12,217 while 91 people including 10 with comorbidities have succumbed to the infection. Kronu said that the HPC has also decided to allow 100 per cent attendance in government offices, which was curtailed to 50 per cent due to the pandemic.

Commercial vehicles have also been permitted to carry passengers to full capacity and revert to normal fares, he said. The HPC also revoked the rule of quarantining people, including tourists, entering the state from other parts of the country. However, those having symptoms of coronavirus infection will have to undergo medical check-up and screening, and need to follow medical guidelines. The minister asked all to follow COVID-19 protocols to check the further spread of the virus.