NEW DELHI: A decision regarding reopening of schools for classes 6 to 8 in Delhi will be taken after the festival season, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal said on Wednesday following a DDMA meeting here.
While the L-G did not mention the particular month for a decision on reopening schools for junior classes, sources present at the meeting said it could happen "post Diwali".
"As suggested by the experts, it was decided to consider opening middle school classes 6-8, after the festive season.
As suggested by the experts, it was decided to consider opening middle school classes 6-8, after the festive season," Baijal, who chaired the meeting, said in a tweet.
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) meeting was attended by Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain and Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, Niti Ayog member VK Paul, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria,, ICMR DG Balram Bhargava and other senior officials of departments concerned.
"Even as the experts expressed satisfaction at the prevailing situation and efforts being undertaken by departments and agencies concerned, it was strongly reiterated that guards in terms of Covid-appropriate behaviour and its enforcement cannot be let down, especially in light of the forthcoming festive season," a source said.
"As advised by the experts, it was decided to open the remaining classes in schools after the festive season," he added.
Several private schools have been demanding that the schools reopen now for junior classes.
A group of parents and school teachers had last week staged a protest outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence here, and demanded reopening of schools for students of primary section and classes 6-8.
"Disappointing decision once again by the government. It has been a month since the schools reopened for senior classes and all has been well thankfully so what is the harm in calling other classes as well. The attendance has been less in private schools not because of Covid concerns but because not all schools are providing transport," said RC Jain, president, Delhi Schools Association.
However, Delhi Parents Association's president Aparajita Gautam hailed the government's decision.
"There have already been predictions about a possible third wave in October-November. Also the festival rush can contribute to a rise in cases so it's wise to take an informed decision after the festivals," Gautam said.
Following a marked improvement in the COVID-19 situation in the national capital, the Delhi government had last month announced that schools for classes 9 to 12, colleges and coaching institutions would reopen from September 1.
The Delhi government had clarified that no student would be forced to attend physical classes and the consent of parents would be mandatory.
Allowing only 50 per cent students per classroom, mandatory thermal screening, staggered lunch breaks, alternate seating arrangement and avoiding routine guest visits were among the guidelines announced by the DDMA for reopening of schools and colleges from September 1.
The DDMA had said students, teachers and non-teaching staff living in Covid containment zones would not be allowed to come to schools and colleges.
Schools in the national capital were ordered shut last year in March ahead of a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus.
While several states started partial reopening of schools in October last year, the Delhi government allowed physical classes only for classes 9-12 in January this year, which were again suspended following the exponential rise in COVID-19 cases during the aggressive second wave.
Government employees, teachers and bus drivers should be mandatorily vaccinated against Covid as they interact with multiple people on a daily basis, said experts at a DDMA meeting held here on Wednesday.
At the meeting, it was also decided to undertake a "targeted" and "intensified" vaccination drive through camps and mobile vans with ambulances to facilitate the elderly, differently abled, indisposed and domestic helps, etc. for inoculation.
The meeting, which was held under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, was attended by senior officials of the Delhi government.
They discussed the Covid situation in Delhi, the vaccination programme and the reopening of schools for students of classes 6 to 8.
The experts stressed on a change in strategy in the vaccination programme to mandatorily cover all groups that are working in overcrowded settings.
They said government servants, teachers and staff in schools and service providers like auto/taxi and bus drivers and delivery personnel should be mandatorily vaccinated against the virus, according to official sources.
The vaccination drive against COVID-19 had started across the country, including in Delhi, on January 16.
The total number of anti-coronavirus vaccine doses administered in Delhi had crossed the one crore-mark on July 31.
Nearly 1,215 government vaccination centres are operational in the national capital, with the capacity of administering over 3.39 lakh doses.
Till 6.30 pm on Wednesday, 1,51,507 vaccine doses were administered, taking the total number of doses to 1,77,08,804. Of which, 57,16,014 were second doses.
The national capital recorded 41 coronavirus cases with a positivity rate of 0.06 per cent and zero fatality due to the infection on Wednesday, according to a health bulletin issued by the city government.
With the new cases, the overall infection tally in the city climbed to 14,38,821.
Over 14.13 lakh patients have recovered from the disease, and the death toll stood at 25,087.
Delhi has recorded only five fatalities due to the infection in September so far.
Delhi recorded 34 COVID-19 cases and two deaths due to the infection on Tuesday, when the positivity rate stood at 0.05 per cent.
The national capital had recorded 32 COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 0.06 per cent and zero death due to the disease on Monday.
There are currently 392 active COVID-19 cases in Delhi, up from 373 on Tuesday.
According to the latest bulletin, 107 patients were in home isolation, up from 105 the previous day.
The number of containment zones in the city stood at 97, up from 94 a day ago.
According to the health bulletin, the authorities conducted 71,983 tests, including 49,688 RT-PCR ones, on Tuesday.
In April and May, Delhi battled a brutal second wave of the pandemic that claimed a large number of lives and led to a shortage of oxygen at hospitals across the city.
On April 20, Delhi had reported 28,395 cases, the highest in the city since the beginning of the pandemic.
On April 22, the case positivity rate was 36.2 per cent, the highest so far. The highest number of 448 deaths was reported on May 3.
The city government has been ramping up its health infrastructure to prevent a repeat of the crisis witnessed during the peak of the second wave of the pandemic in April and May.
Amid apprehensions of a third COVID-19 wave in Delhi, experts have suggested that people avoid mass gatherings and scale down festivities.
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