Schools to reopen in Haryana for Classes 9 to 12 from July 16

Haryana will allow students of Classes 6 to 8 to come to schools from July 23.

New Delhi: In view of the decline in COVID-19 cases, the Haryana government on Friday (July 9) announced the reopening of schools for Classes 9 to 12 from July 16. For students of Classes 6 to 8, they will be permitted to come to schools from July 23, an official spokesperson told PTI. 

The students will be allowed to come to schools with the permission of their parents. The spokesperson added, however,  it would not be mandatory for the students to join school as online classes will continue.

Students will be called to school while maintaining strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols. “Social distancing and other rules will be applicable for the students coming to the schools,” the spokesperson said. There is no decision yet on resuming physical classes for students of standard 1 to 5.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday had said that a plan should be made to reopen the educational institutions subject to the strict adherence of the COVID-19 protocols. “Given the decline in the number of COVID-19 cases, a plan should be made to reopen the schools at the earliest,” he said. 

On July 4, Haryana had extended the lockdown till July 12 while also allowing additional relaxations. 

Meanwhile, 57 fresh infections pushed the case count to 7,69,205, according to the Health Department's daily bulletin on Friday. Nine people succumbed to COVID-19, taking the cumulative toll to 9,534. The state currently has 993 active cases in the state, while 7,58,678 people have recovered from the infection so far.

(With agency inputs)