Madhya Pradesh: Schools closed till January 31, ban on fairs and rallies

BHOPAL: Schools and hostels in Madhya Pradesh will be closed till January 31 and classes will move completely online, the state government ordered on Friday as it battles an alarming Covid surge.
Over 22,200 Covid cases have been reported in a week and eight deaths in as many days. The trigger for campus closure seems to be the 4,755 cases detected on Friday, and a whopping 12,425 new infections in the last three days - 56% of the year's count so far.
Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan decided on the new guidelines at a review meeting on Friday. "A big challenge is before us in the form of the third wave. Do not panic. Be alert and cautious," the CM said.
All fairs, religious and trade, are prohibited. So are all kinds of rallies and processions.
No more than 250 people can attend a programme, and indoor events cannot exceed 50% capacity. Sports activities can continue at 50% strength but spectators are barred from grounds and stadiums.
The school education department said that pre-board exams, scheduled for later this month, will be held in 'take home' mode. Students will collect the question papers and answersheets from schools, write them in the stipulated time, and submit them in schools.
This is the third guideline regarding schools in a month. Only nine days ago, it was decided to allow schools to run at 50% strength. Covid cases have risen exponentially since then. Schools will remain closed till January 31 but teaching and non-teaching staff have been instructed to be on campus regularly.
Since there is no mention of coaching institutes, they will presumably continue to run but students aged above 18 will be allowed only if they show proof of having taken both doses of vaccines. Action will be taken against the owners of coaching institutes if Covid SOPs of masking and distancing are violated.
Colleges and universities will continue to run offline. Semester exams will be held in offline mode at 50% capacity. All recruitment exams are expected to be organised on schedule since the guidelines don't mention them. It is mandatory for all school and college staff to be fully vaccinated. Principals have been told to ensure that all unvaccinated students aged above 18 take both their doses.
Parents have welcomed the decision to shut down schools for now. "I can't understand why the government took so long to decide to close campuses when cases have been rising rapidly. Schools should be opened only when students of all age groups are fully vaccinated," said Vidhi Prasanna, mother of a class 8 student.
Schools, however, are worried. "This is not a good sign for private schools. We have been facing huge losses for the past two years," said a school owner, requesting not to be named.