Delhi: Schools, colleges and gyms to re-open; night curfew hours reduced

Schools in Delhi will reopen for all classes from kindergarten, as well as gyms with certain restrictions and drivers traveling alone in cars will be exempted from wearing masks, the city council announced Friday, as Covid restrictions were eased with the eye on the dip in cases.

The curfew remains in effect, but from 11 p.m. instead of 10 p.m.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has decided to reopen higher education institutions and coaching centers along with schools for grades 9-12 from Feb. 7, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said.

Speaking in an online briefing, he said the panel has also decided to resume classes from kindergarten to age 8 from February 14.

Sisodia said teachers who have not been vaccinated are not allowed to come to school.

The DDMA also allowed restaurants to remain open until 11pm.

“A number of important decisions were made during the DDMA meeting on Friday. The decisions were made with a view to decreasing the number of coronavirus cases in Delhi. These decisions will ensure that the lives of people and businesses get back on track. rails," said Sisodia.

In another key decision, the panel exempted drivers who are only in vehicles from wearing masks and also gave a nod to resuming offices with 100 percent attendance, Sisodia said.

“Schools will reopen for grades 9 to 12 from Feb. 7 and for kindergartens to 8 from Feb. 14. Classes will remain in a hybrid mode,” Sisodia said.

The deputy prime minister, who also has the education portfolio, said that from Monday, higher education institutions and coaching institutes will also be allowed to open.

“However, colleges will be discouraged from teaching online classes and must teach offline,” he said.

During the DDMA meeting, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, it was decided that gyms, spas and swimming pools should be allowed to open, he said, adding that the panel also gave its nod to hosting B2B exhibitions.

The meeting focused on improving vaccination for those in the 15-18 age group, officials added.

At its last meeting, the DDMA lifted the weekend curfew and allowed bars and restaurants to operate at 50 percent of their seating capacity.

Daily cases in Delhi are on the decline after reaching a record high of 28,867 on January 13. The city had a positivity rate of 30.6 percent on Jan. 14, the highest during the ongoing wave of the pandemic. It took just 10 days for daily cases to drop below 10,000.