Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday extended closure of schools barring 10th and 12th standards in the Union Territory, while allowing 25 persons in indoor or outdoor gatherings and 50 people in Banquet Halls in districts with lesser coronavirus cases.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary A K Mehta. Besides schools, the government has retained all the COVID-19 containment guidelines, including night curfew.
“Classes for 12th standard shall be permitted with limited in-person teaching not exceeding 50% on a given day for vaccinated students and staff. Consent shall be obtained from the parents of all students who are willing to attend the school. The school premises should be thoroughly sanitized. Proper screening regarding vaccination should be done on the school gate,” reads the order.
Limited in-person teaching of students of 10th class, not exceeding 50% on any given day and after ensuring compliance with Covid Appropriate Behaviour by the school authorities, can be permitted by concerned Deputy Commissioners after due screening through 100% Rapid Antigen Test or RT-PCR, it said.
“The schools, except for relaxations as provided above for students of 12th and 10th classes, shall continue to remain closed for on-site / in-person teaching.”
Coaching Centres for Civil Services/Engineering/NEET shall be permitted with limited in-person teaching, for fully vaccinated staff and student, subject to condition that the Head of the centre shall ensure that the guidelines related to social distancing and Covid protocols are adhered to.
“All other Coaching Centres shall continue to remain closed for onsite / in-person teaching.”
Higher educational institutions shall be permitted to commence limited in-person teaching subject to 100% vaccination of staff and students and specific permission of concerned Deputy Commissioners.
“Such institutions can organize special vaccination camps in consultation with district administration. The Head of these institutions must ensure that the guidelines related to social distancing and Covid protocols are adhered to.”
Educational institutions shall be permitted to direct attendance of vaccinated staff for administrative purposes only.
The maximum number of people permitted to attend any indoor/ outdoor gathering shall be strictly restricted to 25, it said.
However, in Banquet Halls in districts with positivity rate below 0.2 and weekly case load below 250, gathering shall be permitted up to enhanced limit of 50, for vaccinated persons/ persons with verifiable RT-PCR or RAT not older than 72 hours. “All District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police shall ensure compliance.”
“There shall be no Weekend Curfew in any district.”
“Night Curfew shall continue to remain in force in all districts from 8 pm to 7 am but for those districts with positivity rate below 0.2 and weekly case load below 250 where it would be from 10 pm to 6 am.”
All Deputy Commissioners shall intensify testing by making optimum use of available RT-PCR and RAT capacities. There shall be no drop in testing levels.
“The District Magistrates shall strictly ensure that there is full compliance to COVID appropriate behaviour and defaulters arc firmly dealt with under relevant sections of the Disaster Management Act and the Indian Penal Code,” the order reads, adding, “ The District Magistrates shall constitute joint teams of Police and Executive Magistrates for intensifying enforcement of Covid Appropriate Behaviour.”
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