Schools closed in Delhi due to spike in Omicron cases: DDMA

Delhi Schools Shut Down: In view of the rising Covid-19 cases, the Delhi government today announced that the Delhi schools will be shut with immediate effect and issued a yellow alert in the national capital. After a high-level meeting to review the pandemic situation in the national capital, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said earlier in the day that a decision has been taken to issue 'yellow' alert in view of fast rising cases of infections.

Delhi Disaster Management Authority said that the schools in Delhi will be shut as the state saw a spike in Omicron variant of Covid-19 cases. Yesterday, the Delhi government announced winter break for pre-primary and primary classes from January 1 to 15. “All the heads of Sarvodaya Vidyalayas are informed that the winter break for pre-primary and primary classes shall be observed from January 1-15 and online/offline teaching-learning activities through worksheets shall not be conducted during this period,” said an official circular from the Delhi government.

“Schools, cinemas, gyms shut in Delhi, shops in malls to operate on odd-even basis as yellow alert sounded in view of rising Covid cases,” DDMA said, as per PTI report.

Though the Delhi government gave permission for reopening schools for Class 6 and above from December 18, a few schools decided to resume offline classes for students after January 3, 2022. Delhi school reopened after more than a year on November 1. Since then, the schools have been closed and reopened several times due to poor air pollution and now shut due to rise in Covid-19 cases.

DDMA put various restrictions on the functioning of shops and public transport as a yellow alert was sounded under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The 'yellow' alert restrictions stipulate that shops and establishments of non-essential goods and services and malls will open based on odd-even formula from 10 AM to 8 PM.

The timing of night curfew imposed from Monday night has also been extended by an hour and it will now begin at 10 pm. The night curfew from 10 pm to 5 am will remain in force till further orders, stated the order issued by the DDMA.

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The GRAP approved by the DDMA prescribes sounding of 'yellow' alert if positivity rate remains above 0.5 per cent for two consecutive days.

Delhi on Monday recorded 331 fresh COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day rise since June 9, and one death while the positivity rate mounted to 0.68 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department. Positivity rate was 0.55 per cent on Sunday.

(With inputs from PTI)