As schools in the city reopened for the first time since March 2020, Mayor Kishori Pednekar visited civic-run schools to take stock of the situation on Monday.

Pednekar interacted with parents sought their inputs on the SOPs laid down by the BMC. The Mayor said only 25 students are allowed in a classroom after checking their temperature.

“The school premises have been fumingated and all the common areas like drinking water facilities and toilets are being sanitised at regular intervals,” she said.

Students are being called in on a rotational basis in order to avoid crowding.

“Students who have come today will not need to come the next day. Besides, online sessions are being carried out simultaneously,” Pednekar said.

She also maintained that the authorities have been directed not to pressurise students regarding physical attendance. Health check-up facilities have also been set up at BMC schools.

Meanwhile, senior BMC officials said that on the first day all SOPs were strictly followed.

As 35 BMC schools had turned into vaccination centres and 16 were Covid-19 isolation centres, these facilities have now been shifted to nearby health centres.

“As Covid-19 cases have begun to recede, most isolation centres were lying unused. Now with schools reopening, we have shifted these centres elsewhere. These will be directly under the control of the local BMC ward office,” the official said.