The schools within the limits of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) will reopen for Class 5 to 8 from February 4, 2021.
Announcing the decision, the civic body released a standard operating procedure (SoP) on January 25. It also stated that those who will be seen violating the SoP will be prosecuted under relevant sections of the Disaster Management Act and section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
As per the SoP, the schools will have to make arrangements for thermal scanners, pulse oximeters, thermometers, soaps, sanitisers etc.
Earlier on January 22, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had passed an order to allow reopening of schools for class 5 to 8 from February 1 following SOP (standard operating procedure) that have been provided by the state government.
The Maharashtra education department had on January 15 allowed reopening of schools for classes 5 to 8 from January 27. "We are consulting parents and local officials in this regard. Local officials have also conducted a large number of RT-PCR tests on school teachers and non-teaching staff before reopening schools," Maharashtra Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad had said.
Last month, the state government had empowered district collectors and local authorities to decide on reopening of schools, which have been shut since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for classes 9 to 12 based on the coronavirus situation in their areas. After which the classes for 9 to 12 were reopened within PMC limits on January 4.
