COVID-19 Resurgence Fear: Odisha Schools To Close Again?

Bhubaneswar: The fear of COVID-19 resurgence following a spike in cases in five states has parents worried about the safety of their children attending school in Odisha.

After sounding alert to collectors, the Odisha government is making sure that the COVID-19 guidelines are strictly enforced to thwart any possible surge in new infections.

Talking to mediapersons on Sunday, School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash said the schools will be shut again if needed.

“The schools in Odisha have reopened with the standard operating procedure (SOP) for the safety of the children. Though there is no such threat till now, the resurgence of the killer virus cannot be ruled out. We will take an appropriate decision after reviewing all things,” the minister added.

Referring to the COVID-19 spike in Chhattisgarh, Dash said that the School and Mass Education Department has sent the nodal officers to the schools in the border areas to oversee proper implementation of the SOP.

Class X and XI students in the state are attending physical classes since January 8 and Class IX and IX since February 8. No decision has yet been taken on reopening schools for students of Class I to VIII.

Director DMET CBK Mohanty had warned about the re-imposition of lockdown if people don’t take the necessary precautions to keep the virus at bay.

Also Read: Present COVID-19 Situation Does Not Indicate Further Lockdown: Odisha DMET