Haryana schools, colleges closed amid rising COVID-19 cases- Check new guidelines here

Amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the state and the current Omicron fear, the government of Haryana has decided to shut down all educational institutes in the states for offline classes. The schools and colleges are set to remain closed till January 12, 2022.

The schools and colleges in Haryana have been shut down as the state government announced new restrictions due to the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases. A ‘Mahamari Alert’ has also been issued in Haryana in view of the current COVID-19 situation.

The official order issued by the Haryana government reads, “School, Colleges, Polytechnics, ITs, Coaching institutions, Libraries and Training Institutes (whether Government or private), Anganwadi Centers and Creches under Woman and Child Development Department shall remain closed in the State." 

The Haryana government earlier had plans to reopen the schools in the state with 100 capacity for online classes, but the spike in the number of COVID-19 cases, and the detection of the Omicron variant, made the government postpone the reopening of educational institutes.

The schools and colleges will remain closed till January 12, and the pandemic situation will be reviewed before reopening them for offline classes. The schools and colleges in Haryana were initially shut down in March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit India.

Apart from the closure of schools, fresh COVID-19 restrictions have recently been issued in five districts in Haryana, ranging from the restriction of gatherings to the closure of cinema halls and multiplexes. The districts where these curbs have been imposed are Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Ambala, and Panchkula.

The state government has also said that only fully vaccinated people will be allowed to enter or roam around in public places, to control the spread of COVID-19. The vaccination drive for teenagers aged 15 to 18 has also commenced in the state from today, January 3, 2021.