Andhra Pradesh’s government announced on Thursday that schools and colleges would reopen in a gradual manner starting from November 2, implementing essential precautionary measures to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney outlined the reopening plan, stating that government schools and colleges would resume operations on November 2 for classes 9, 10, and intermediate. Classes for these grades would follow a schedule of alternate days, with classes 9 and 10 and Intermediate first and second year conducting sessions for half a day only.
Classes for grades 6, 7, and 8 are scheduled to commence on November 23, while classes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are set to start from December 14. Additionally, higher secondary colleges will also reopen from November 2, operating on a rotational basis.
To ensure a safe reopening, schools will function on alternate days in three phases, and officials are actively making arrangements for the same. Chief Secretary Sawhney emphasized that precautionary measures would be rigorously implemented to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Educational institutions in the state have remained closed since March, coinciding with the national lockdown announcement. As of now, Andhra Pradesh has 26,268 active COVID-19 cases, and there has been a notable decline in new infections over the past several days.