No schools will reopen till we’re assured Covid-19 is under control, says Delhi health minister

Last month, the Delhi government had said schools will continue to remain closed till further orders. In recent days, Delhi has been the epicentre of the recent surge in the country’s Covid-19 cases.

Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday said until the government is completely assured that the national capital’s Covid-19 situation is under control, “no schools will reopen.” Speaking to news agency ANI, Jain said, “The positivity rate in Delhi has come down to 8.5% in the last 3 weeks. A vaccine will hopefully soon be out. Until we are completely assured of the situation being in control, no schools will reopen.”

Noida, India - September 23, 2020: Students exit an examination centre after appearing for the Class X and Class XII CBSE Compartment Exam at Delhi Public School in Sector 30, Noida, India, on Wednesday, September 23, 2020. (Photo by Sunil Ghosh / Hindustan Times)

 

On Tuesday, Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, too, had said schools are unlikely to reopen until a vaccine is available.

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In recent days, Delhi has been the epicentre of the recent surge in the country’s Covid-19 cases. The city recorded 5,246 new infections and 99 deaths on Wednesday, taking its overall caseload to 545,787 including 8,720 deaths, as per a Delhi govt bulletin. On November 11, Delhi had recorded its highest single-day Covid-19 case count of 8,593.

On Thursday, Jain’s cabinet and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) colleague Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai tweeted to announce he had tested positive for Covid-19. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was among eight chief ministers who attended a virtual meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week to discuss the Covid-19 situation, as well as a distribution plan for a potential vaccine.

With the coronavirus situation spiralling out of control in Delhi, Union home minister Amit Shah had chaired an emergency meet on November 15 after which a 12-point action plan was announced to bring the pandemic under control.

The Delhi government had earlier announced schools in national capital will remain closed till October 31. Then, last month, it announced schools will remain closed till further orders.