Wary of a possible second Covid-19 wave, the Odisha government has ordered the closure of schools until December 31. School and mass education minister Samir Ranjan Dash said the decision was taken after extensive consultations.
The state government earlier this week announced the resumption of classes for students of class 9 to 12 from the third week of November. The decision was revoked keeping in view the projections that Odisha may witness a spike in Covid-19 infections during the winter.
Odisha has so far reported 298,768 Covid-19 cases and 1,393 deaths. The state has 12,148 active cases. The positivity rate has been below 3% this week but officials fear the cases are likely to spike from December 15 to January 15. This week, 262 students and 160 teachers tested positive for Covid in Andhra Pradesh.
The Odisha Abhibhabak Mahasangha, a parents’ organisation, welcomed the decision of keeping the schools closed.
Officials said school authorities will be permitted to conduct examinations, evaluations, and other administrative activities.