Unlock 4: Here's the SOPs for skill training institutions, higher education institutions

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on has already issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) for skill training institutions and higher education institutions requiring laboratory work.

The Centre has allowed these institutes to open from September 21, as part of Unlock 4.

Here are the guidelines to be followed:

• The seating arrangement in these institutes should ensure a distance of six feet between desks, chairs.

• Classroom activities should be staggered, with separate time slots.

• Academic scheduling should be have a mix of regular classroom teaching and online teaching/assessments.

• Teachers and students should wear masks

• No sharing of items like laptops, stationary, notebooks etc. among students 

It is to be noted that metro services have already resumed operations in Delhi and several other cities as part of Unlock 4. Schools will also partially reopen from September 21 but only for classes 9-12.

The country started opening up from June 1, after witnessing strict nationwide lockdown from March 25 to May 31 to curb the spread of coronavirus COVID-19. Unlock 4 started on September 1 and will end on September 30.

Meanwhile, the country's COVID-19 tally jumped past 50 lakh on Wednesday (September 16), just 11 days after it crossed 40 lakh, with 90,123 new cases reported in the last 24 hours.

The Union Health Ministry’s 8 AM data showed that total coronavirus cases mounted to 50,20,359, while the death toll climbed to 82,066 with a record 1,290 people succumbing to the disease in a span of 24 hours.