Kerala government on Saturday announced reopening of schools for classes 1-7, class 10, and class 12 from November 1 engaging fully vaccinated staff against Coronavirus.
According to the revised COVID-19 guidelines issued by the government, regular classes in colleges/training institutes for fully vaccinated students from October 18 shall be allowed and only fully vaccinated staff will be allowed.
The state government has also allowed reopening of cinema halls, indoor auditoriums from October 25 with 50 percent capacity.
Here's a detailed look at the revised guidelines issued by the Kerala government:
1. Regular classes in Colleges and training institutions for all batches of students, who have taken two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, can be started from 18th October, 2021 engaging the teachers/trainers other staff who have taken two doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
2.The requirement of producing CONID-19 negative certificate for entry to institutions in the state, wherever insisted, shall be done away with and only proof of two doses of COVID-19 vaccine may be insisted for any such purpose.
3. Schools are allowed to function for classes from 1st to 7th, 10th and 12th from 1st November, 2021 onwards engaging teachers/staff/employees who have taken two doses of COVID-19 vaccine and strictly following other guidelines issued by the General Education Department.
4. Pre-metric hostels and model residential schools can also start functioning from 1st November-2021 onwards in bio-bubble model engaging staff who have taken two doses of COVID-19 vaccine Guidelines for opening other schools as issued by the General Education department shall also be followed scrupulously.
5. Cinema theatres and auditoriums, including indoor auditoriums, can function from 25th October, 2021 with maximum 50% seating capacity only, engaging the workent employees who have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine subject to the condition that persons who have taken two doses of vaccine alone shall be permitted entry.
6. The number of persons who are allowed to attend marriage functions and funerals is increased to 50 from the current limit of 20.
The announcement was made as number of daily cases of Covid-19 have been declining in the southern state. However, it still contributes to more than half of the 24-hour Covid-19 tally of India.
With regards to marriages, it has been decided to increase the number of guests from 20 to 50, and grama sabhas also can be convened, but will have to follow the Covid protocols.
Meanwhile, Kerala on Saturday logged 13,217 new COVID-19 cases and 121 deaths, taking the caseload to 47,07,936 and the death toll to 25,303.
Health minister Veena George said the state has tested 96,835 samples in the last 24 hours and there are 745 wards across 368 local self government bodies where the weekly population infection ratio was above ten per cent.
"There are 1,41,155 active cases in the state of which only 11 per cent are in hospitals," the minister said in a release. Among the districts, Ernakulam reported the highest number of fresh infections on Saturday--1,730, followed by Thiruvananthapuram 1,584 and Thrissur 1,579.
Meanwhile, 14,437 persons recuperated from the disease, taking the total cured in the state to 45,40,866.
There are 4,37,864 persons under observation of which 17,308 are in isolation wards of various hospitals.
