Schools are Shut in Delhi Due to Spike in Covid Cases

All schools and universities will be closed in Delhi given the huge increase in coronavirus cases in the capital, along with other parts of the country, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Friday.

Several states and territories, including Delhi, have announced new restrictions, such as nighttime curfews, amid a new wave of COVID-19 that has pushed infection figures to record highs. On Thursday, the daily case count in the capital passed the 7,000 marks for the first time this year.

Most classes have already been suspended in Delhi, but students in class 9-12 attended school if their parents allowed them due to their board exams.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), which governs thousands of schools across the country, has faced criticism from the opposition for running ahead of exams despite the increase.

“It is totally irresponsible for boards like CBSE to force students to take exams in prevailing circumstances. Board exams must be canceled, rescheduled, or arranged in a way that does not require the physical presence of children in crowded exam centers.” Congressional Leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Twitter.

The CBSE has announced that the Class 10 exams will take place between May 4 and June 7 and the Class 12 exams will take place between May 4 and June 15.

Practical exams are generally taken in January and written exams begin in February and conclude in March.

There have been demands from students to take online exams and more than a lakh of students have already signed a petition to the CBSE for the cause.

However, CBSE officials said that under COVID guidelines, test centers across the country have been increased by 40-50 percent to ensure social distancing among students.

Schools across the country were closed in March last year to contain the spread of COVID-19 ahead of a national shutdown.

Several states began partially reopening schools in October last year, but physical classes are being suspended again in light of the massive increase in coronavirus cases.

India reported nearly 1.32 lakhs of new infections and 780 deaths on Friday, the largest daily increase in deaths since mid-October. Most of the cases came again from Maharashtra, home to the financial capital Mumbai.

Gradually approaching the number of cases of 1.32 crore from Brazil, the number of coronavirus cases in India has risen to 1.3 crore rupees, the third-highest after the United States and the South American country, and the total deaths to 1,67,642.

The government blames the resurgence primarily on overcrowding and a reluctance to wear masks, as companies had almost completely reopened since February, only to partially close again when the case has galloped.

Election rallies, at which politicians such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Interior Minister Amit Shah, have greeted hundreds of thousands of supporters, most of them without masks, continued this week despite the record surge. of cases.