COVID-19: UP schools shut till May 15; night curfew imposed
All schools in Uttar Pradesh will be closed till May 15 while board exams for classes 10 and 12 have been postponed till May 20 in view of the COVID-19 surge, the state government said on Thursday. The government also imposed an 11-hour night curfew in 10 districts with over 2,000 active COVID-19 cases with immediate effect, according to a statement issued in Lucknow.
Decisions taken at a virtual meeting chaired by CM Adityanath
The decisions were taken at a meeting virtually chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from his residence, where he has isolated himself after testing positive for coronavirus. "The new dates for board examinations will be decided in the first week of May," an official said.
UP Board exams have been postponed till May 20
"Schools up to Class 12 are being closed till May 15 and no examinations will be held during this period. Also, UP Board exams for Classes 10 and 12 have been postponed till May 20," the official said. Schools up to Class 12 were already shut till April 30. Initially, the UP Board exams were to be held from April 24.
Every year, 56-57 lakh students appear for UP Board exams
However, the April 24 exams were postponed to May 8 following the COVID-19 surge. Every year, 56 to 57 lakh students of classes 10 and 12 appear for the UP Board exams. During the meeting, Adityanath also directed officials to impose a night curfew from 8 pm to 7 am with immediate effect in 10 districts that have more than 2,000 active COVID-19 cases.
People should be educated about importance of COVID-19 norms: Adityanath
"The districts are in Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Kanpur, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Meerut, and Gorakhpur," the official said. The chief minister also said that people should also be told about the importance of wearing masks and sanitization.
Additional arrangements should be made in Lucknow: Adityanath
"Since Lucknow is the state capital it's obvious that more people will come here. So additional arrangements should be made in the city," Adityanath said. "King George's Medical University and Balrampur Hospital should be made dedicated COVID-19 hospitals in a phased manner. In private hospitals, too, the number of beds should be increased," he said.
Create quarantine centers for migrants returning from other states: Adityanath
On the panchayat polls, which began on Thursday, Adityanath said that all the personnel on duty should follow COVID-19 protocols. He also said that gloves, sanitizers, and masks should be made available. On migrants returning to Uttar Pradesh from other states, the chief minister asked officials to create quarantine centers in every district with necessary facilities.
UP reported highest single-day COVID-19 surge on Wednesday
He said the chief medical officer will monitor the availability of oxygen and anti-viral drug Remdesivir and that there should be no shortage of essentials in hospitals. Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday reported its highest single-day surge with 20,510 fresh coronavirus cases pushing the tally to 744,021. The death toll in UP rose to 9,376 with 67 fresh fatalities recorded in the last 24 hours.
