The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday granted permission to higher educational institutions to resume offline classes provided all staff members and students are fully vaccinated, over four months after shutting them owing to the second wave of COVID-19. The administration, however, extended the closure of schools and coaching centres till further orders.
The decisions were taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary AK Mehta. It was decided to retain most of the COVID-19-containment guidelines, including night curfew, and the district magistrates were directed to strictly ensure that there is full compliance with Covid-appropriate behaviour and defaulters are firmly dealt with under relevant sections of the Disaster Management Act and the Indian Penal Code. It also decided to dispense with the mandatory testing for COVID-19 at the entry point to the Union Territory at Lakhanpur for those who have received both dosages of vaccine and allow entry of vaccinated persons into public parks.
Other educational institutions can allow the attendance of vaccinated staff for administrative purposes, Mehta said. In a series of measures aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 infection, the Jammu and Kashmir administration on April 18 had ordered the closure of all educational institutions, including universities and colleges, till further orders.
Higher educational institutions can reopen for limited in-person or offline teaching only if 100 percent of staff and students gave been vaccinated and provided, they have received the specific permission of the concerned deputy commissioners.
