After Gujarat, MP and Rajasthan, this state clamps night curfew in 4 districts; schools shut till Dec 31

SHIMLA: After Mumbai and Karnataka, the Himachal Pradesh government announced that all schools and colleges in the state would remain closed till December 31. The Jai Ram Thakur government in Himachal Prdesh clamped a night curfew in four districts as the state fights a spurt in coronavirus cases.

Earlier, states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have imposed curfew during the night in view of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in a few districts.

The fresh curbs were announced after a Cabinet meeting chaired by CM Jai Ram Thakur.

The night curfew will be in place from November 24 to December 15 in Shimla, Mandi, Kangra and Kullu districts from 8 pm to 6 am, state's Parliamentary Affairs minister Suresh Bhardwaj said. Till December 31, only 50 per cent of class III and IV employees on the rolls will attend government offices each day.

Gatherings at social, cultural and political events will be capped at 200 people and those who don't wear masks in public will cough up a fine of Rs 1,000.

There has been a sharp increase in the number of cases and deaths in the hill state this month ? 235 of the 547 pandemic deaths so far have taken place in November.

On October 31, the state had recorded 22,060 coronavirus infections. A little over three weeks later, on Monday evening the number stood at 34,442, according to the health department data.

The state has 6,535 active cases now, compared to 2,880 at the end of last month.

Meanwhile, the office of Kangra Superintendent of Police was ordered shut for two more days after remaining closed for three days, following COVID-19 cases among its staff.

Six more coronavirus cases were detected there, an official said in Dharamshala.

Most schools in Himachal Pradesh had reopened only on November 1 after remaining shut for months due to the coronavirus pandemic. But with infections being reported from some of them, the state government had ordered all educational institutions shut till November 25.
Now, they will remain closed till December 31. Bhardwaj said online studies would begin from November 26.

The minister said teachers will continue to work from home till further orders.

Offices of high schools, senior secondary schools and colleges will also function from November 26. Principals can call faculty members to work if required, he added.

He said students in classes 1 to 4 and classes 6 and 7 would be promoted as per the provisions of the Right to Education Act.

The final examinations for classes 5 and 8 to 11 will be conducted in March, he added.

The Himachal Pradesh board exams for classes 10 and 12 will take place in March with 30 per cent relaxation in syllabus.