Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday, 5 January, announced that schools and colleges in the state will reopen from 18 January. Schools will only resume for Class 9-12 students and only final-year college students will be allowed to attend physical classes, reported PTI.
According to the report, government training institutes and coaching academies have also been included in the list of education institutions which can resume operations from 18 January.
However, medical, dental, nursing, and paramedical colleges have been asked to resume operations from 11 January, taking into account COVID-19 safety and health guidelines provided by the Centre and the state government. Student are required to adhere to health protocols such as maintaining social distance, using face masks and carrying hand sanitisers.
According to Gehlot, the COVID-19 condition in the state is "very much under control with the best management and cooperation of the people". The minister added that the COVID-19 recovery rate in the state has risen to an all-time high of 96.31 percent.
In view of the new COVID-19 strain found in the United Kingdom, the minister has urged people to adhere to health protocols more stringently, adding that “any kind of negligence towards it (COVID-19) can create a big crisis.”
Gehlot also directed state officials to ensure swift preparations of COVID-19 vacciation in the state. As of 5 January, the total number of cases infected with the new strain of the novel coronavirus, first reported in the United Kingdom, now stands at 58, informed the Union Health Ministry, on Tuesday, 5 January.
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