Kohima: The Government of Nagaland has issued a new standard operating procedure (SOPs) by allowing to resume physical classes from October 1, for students of classes 5 to 10 with some new rules and COVID-19 guidelines, after examining the decreasing trend of the pandemic.
According to official sources, the Government issued a set of SOPs setting a 50 per cent of attendance limit as a measure for preventing and containing the spread of COVID-19 and for the safety of students, teachers, and all others concerned.
The new SOP said that the re-opening shall be subject to all teachers and non-teaching staff of the school concerned being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with having taken the 1st dose of vaccine at least 15 days prior to reopening, or both the doses. If these criteria for vaccination are not fulfilled, the teachers or non-teaching staff would be required to produce a negative COVID-19 test report through either RT-PCR or TrueNat or CBNAAT once every 15 days.
The other criterion for reopening, the school authorities would be required to ensure sanitization of school premises at regular intervals, adherence to social distancing norms in seating arrangements, and mandatory use of face covers or masks.
The schools are also required to prepare alternate day routines for classes and the infrastructure available so that the 50 per cent attendance limit. It also encouraged schools to continue online or distance learning.
The schools would have to submit a list of teaching and non-teaching staff along with the details of the vaccination status or testing status as the case may be, and the arrangements being made for ensuring adherence to the provisions of the new SOP to the respective District Task Force through the District Education Officer concerned and any violation of the provisions of the SOP will attract action as per legal provisions against the management of the school/institution, it cautioned, the SOP said.
