Delhi schools to remain closed until next order: Education Minister Manish Sisodia

Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia said on Wednesday that all the government and private schools in the national capital will remain closed until further orders. There were speculations of a partial reopening of schools in Delhi, after the Union Home Ministry issued fresh guidelines under Unlock 5.0, allowing schools to reopen in non-containment zones. 

Addressing an online press conference, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said parents are not in favour of reopening schools either. He said it is not safe to reopen schools due to the rising cases of COVID-19. 

"We keep getting feedback from parents that they are really concerned about whether it is safe to reopen schools. It is not. Wherever schools have reopened, COVID-19 cases among children have risen. So we have decided that as of now schools in the national capital will not reopen. They will continue to be closed till further orders," Sisodia said.

READ | Sisodia Visits Govt School In West Delhi, Congratulates Teachers For 27 Students Clearing JEE, NEET

Previously, the Delhi government had announced that all educational institutes will remain closed till October 31. Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16, following a nationwide shutdown as part of measures to contain the spread of Coronavirus.

While several restrictions have been eased in various 'unlock' phases, educational institutions continue to remain closed until October. As per the ‘Unlock 5’ guidelines, the MHA allowed states to decide on reopening schools in phases. Many states have also already begun the process of reopening schools.

Earlier, schools were allowed to conduct classes for students from Classes 9 to 12 on a voluntary basis from September 21, however, the Arvind Kejriwal-led government decided against it.

READ | After Roll Out Of NEP, Class 10, 12 Board Exams Should Be Discontinued: Sisodia To Centre

Delhi's COVID-19 tally

Delhi recorded 4,853 fresh COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the highest single-day spike here till date, as the infection tally in the city mounted to over 3.64 lakh, authorities said. The positivity rate stood at 8.48%, while the case fatality rate was 1.74%, according to the latest bulletin issued by the Delhi health department.

Forty-four new fatalities pushed the death toll in the national capital to 6,356, it said. The city had recorded 54 COVID-19 deaths on Monday, the highest in over three months. The active cases tally on Tuesday rose to 27,873 from 25,786 the previous day, as per the bulletin.

It said that the total number of cases has climbed to 3,64,341.  The number of containment zones in Delhi increased to 3,032 from 2,930 on Monday. The recovery rate on Tuesday was over 90 per cent, the bulletin said.

READ | Schools Not Opening For Now In Delhi: Kejriwal

READ | Arvind Kejriwal Jumps Into COVID Vaccine Debate, Says 'should Be Free For Entire Country'