Schools to reopen in Madhya Pradesh from Feb 1

The Madhya Pradesh government on Monday decided to reopen schools, including residential ones, with 50 per cent capacity for students of classes 1 to 12 from February 1 as the coronavirus situation appears to be stabilising in the state, officials said.

The decision was taken after chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held discussions with medical experts over the prevailing coronavirus situation and the feasibility of reopening schools, they said.

The CM himself later tweeted about the government's decision.

"Discussions were held with medical experts on the issue of reopening schools. Accordingly, it has been decided to reopen schools for classes 1 to 12 with 50 per cent attendance, including residential ones and hostels," Chouhan said in a tweet in Hindi.

Amid a surge in coronavirus cases and emergence of the highly contagious Omicron variant, the Madhya Pradesh government had on January 14 issued orders to shut schools for in-person learning for students of classes 1 to 12 and also hostels till January 31.

Though there is nothing to worry on the pandemic front, the administration should continue to ensure COVID-19-appropriate behaviour among citizens and mandatory use of face masks in public places, the CM said.

The COVID-19 tally in Madhya Pradesh rose to 9,59,439 on Sunday after detection of 9,305 new cases, a health department official said.

The death toll increased to 10,616 after nine more patients succumbed to the infection, he had said.

The positivity rate (positive cases per 100 tests) decreased slightly to 11.49 per cent on Sunday from 11.74 per cent the previous day, the official had said.