Earlier on Tuesday, the state government had announced relaxation in night curfew time in eight metros and other concessions from coronavirus-induced restrictions during the coming Janmashtami and Ganesh festivals. Instead of the usual 11 pm, the night curfew will be in force from 1 am on August 30 to facilitate the celebration of Janmashtami, and from 12 midnight during September 9 to 19 for the Ganesh festival in the cities of Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Surat, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Gandhinagar and Junagadh.
The decision was taken after a meeting of the state's core committee on the COVID-19 pandemic situation chaired by chief minister Vijay Rupani, an official release said. Besides, traditional Janmashtami processions will be allowed with a limited number of participants on August 30, officials said. But the matki fod events (during which clay pots filled with curd are broken) and local fairs organized on the occasion of Janmashtami would not be allowed. Installation of up to four feet tall Ganesh idols in public pandals and up to two feet tall idols at home will be allowed.
The state government will take a decision on the reopening of schools for Classes 6 to 8 next week.
“The decision on reopening schools for Classes 6 to 8 students will be taken after August 15,” state education minister.
The state government was earlier planning to decide by August 9, but after the recent incident in Punjab, where schoolchildren got infected with Covid-19 after the re-opening of schools earlier this month, the state government is treading cautiously sources said.
Last week, about 20 students at two schools in Ludhiana tested positive for Covid-19 after which the schools were told to shut for two weeks.
“We requested the state government to allow reopening of schools for Classes 6 to 8 about 15 days ago, when the number of cases was very low. The idea was that students could study in-person in classrooms before a possible third wave shuts them down,”
president of Gujarat State Self-Financed School Management Association.
With Covid-19 case numbers low in the state, schools and colleges opened recently in a staggered manner. Schools are allowed to hold in-person classes for Classes 9 to 12 with 50% student attendance. Attendance is not mandatory and schools are to get permission from parents in writing to allow children to attend classes.
In March this year, at least 12 students in Surat tested positive for Covid-19 after schools were allowed to reopen after a gap of nine months. They were soon shut down along with other educational institutions as Covid case numbers rose.
The state government recently decided to conduct
tests at schools and colleges to check the spread of Covid-19.
The state’s health department has taken up a three-pronged approach called ‘test-track-treatment’ to ensure cases are detected early and patients get timely treatment.
With no vaccines available for schoolchildren, the monitoring of their health is a major concern,.
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