THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Schools in the state will reopen on November 1. A decision to this effect was taken at the high-level Covid review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Saturday. While school-based classes for standards 1 to 7 (primary section) and 10 and 12 will begin on November 1, other classes will begin on November 15.
The Chief Minister said health experts were of the view that primary classes should be restarted first. School-based classes for Standards 10 and 12 have been resumed as such students have to attend the Board examination next year.
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The departments of general education and health have been directed to jointly decide the preparations to be made for school reopening. Pinarayi also directed that special masks need to be provided for school children and asked schools to stock adequate quantities of such masks.
It was also announced that lockdown will be imposed in local bodies with Weekly Infection-Population Ratio (WIPR) of 10 and above. Earlier, the criteria for lockdown was a WIPR of 8 and above. No more antigen tests will be allowed in private labs.
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The high-level meeting also decided to conduct a special drive to vaccinate people above 65 years. The Chief Minister also directed that Covid contact tracing in districts should be increased by three to fourfold from the present rate.
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