Check out complete guidelines for reopening of schools for 9th to 12th students

News Network
September 10, 2020

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New Delhi, Sept 10: The Union health ministry on September 8 announced that higher educational institutions as well as skill training centres can resume their classes from September 21. Releasing a standard operating procedure (SOP), the ministry asked institutions to implement staggered classroom activities with separate time slots, mandatory six feet distance between desks and carry out disinfection of premises, among other COVID-19 safety measures. All States/UTs are expected to comply with the COVID-19 related guidelines issued by Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

Check out the complete SOP guideline for the partial reopening of Schools for students of 9th to 12th classes on a voluntary basis, for taking guidance from their teachers

Generic Preventive Measures

The generic preventive measures include simple public health measures that are to be followed to reduce the risk of COVID-19. These measures need to be observed by all (teachers, employees and students) in these places at all times. These include:

• Physical distancing of at least 6 feet to be followed as far as feasible.

• Use of face covers/masks to be made mandatory.

• Frequent hand washing with soap (for at least 40-60 seconds) even when hands are not visibly dirty. Use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers (for at least 20 seconds) can be done wherever feasible.

• Respiratory etiquettes to be strictly followed. This involves strict practice of covering one’s mouth and nose while coughing/sneezing with a tissue/handkerchief/flexed elbow and disposing off used tissues properly.

• Self-monitoring of health by all and reporting any illness at the earliest.

• Spitting shall be strictly prohibited.

• Installation & use of Aarogya Setu App may be advised wherever feasible.

Before opening up of the school

Planning of reopening of school

• School outside the containment zones only shall be allowed to open. Further, students, teachers and employees living in containment zones will not be allowed to attend the school. Students, teachers and employees shall also be advised not to visit areas falling within containment zones.

• Prior to resumption of activities, all work areas intended for teaching/demonstrations etc., including laboratories, other common utility areas shall be sanitized with 1% sodium hypochlorite solution, with particular attention to frequently touched surfaces.

• Schools that were used as quarantine centres will be properly sanitized and deep cleaned before partial functioning is resumed. The concerned teaching and non-teaching employees (up to 50 % of the strength) may be called to schools for online teaching/tele-counselling and related work.

• Students from class 9th to 12th will have the option of attending the classes remotely/virtually or physically only on a voluntary basis for guidance from their teachers subject to written permission of parent / guardian.

• Instead of biometric attendance alternate arrangements for contactless attendance shall be made by the school administration.

• At all times, the teachers and students shall maintain a physical distancing of 6 feet apart, wherever feasible. Scheduling of activities and seating plan shall be made accordingly.

• Ensure hand washing facilities along with provision of soap.

• For ensuring queue management, inside and outside the premises, specific markings on the floor with a gap of 6 feet may be made. Similarly, physical distancing shall also be maintained in staff rooms, office areas (including reception area), and other places (mess, libraries, cafeterias, etc.)

• Weather permitting, outdoor spaces may be utilized for conducting teacher student interactions, keeping in view the safety and security of students and physical distancing protocols.

• Assemblies, sports and events that can lead to overcrowding are strictly prohibited.

• The school should display State helpline numbers and also numbers of local health authorities etc. to teachers /students / employees to contact in case of any emergency.

• For air-conditioning/ventilation, the guidelines of CPWD shall be followed which emphasizes that the temperature setting of all air conditioning devices should be in the range of 24-30oC, relative humidity should be in the range of 40-70%, intake of fresh air should be as much as possible and cross ventilation should be adequate.

• Lockers of students will remain in use, as long as physical distancing and regular disinfection is maintained.

• Gymnasiums shall follow MoHFW guidelines

• Swimming Pool (wherever applicable) shall remain closed.

Planning and scheduling of activities

All employees who are at higher risk i.e. older employees, pregnant employees and employees who have underlying medical conditions to take extra precautions. They should preferably not be exposed to any front-line work requiring direct contact with the students.

Availability and management of supplies

• Appropriate back-up stock of personal protection items like face covers/masks, visors, hand sanitizers etc. shall be made available by management to the teachers and employee.

• Provide an adequate supply of thermal guns, alcohol wipes or 1% sodium hypochlorite solutions and disposable paper towels, soap, IEC materials on COVID.

• Pulse oximeter to check oxygen saturation levels of any symptomatic person must be arranged.

• Ensure availability of sufficient covered dustbins and trash cans

• Provision for proper disposal of used personal protective items and general waste in accordance with CPCB guidelines

• Housekeeping employee to be informed & trained about norms for waste management & disposal

After opening of the schools

At the entry point

• Entrance to have mandatory hand hygiene (sanitizer dispenser) and thermal screening provisions. Multiple gates/separate gates, if feasible, should be used for entry and exit.

• Only asymptomatic persons (teachers, employees and students) to be allowed in the premises. If a teacher/employee/student is found to be symptomatic, he/she should be referred to nearest health center.

• Posters/standees on preventive measures about COVID-19 to be displayed prominently.

• Proper crowd management in the parking lots, in corridors and in elevators – duly following physical distancing norms shall be organized.

• Entry of visitors should be strictly regulated/restricted.

Conduct of guidance activities in the rooms or open spaces within the school campus

• Seating arrangement to ensure a distance of 6 feet between chairs, desks etc.

• Staggering of guidance activities to be done, with separate timing slots, to allow for adequate physical distancing and disinfection of classroom premises

• The teaching faculty will ensure that they themselves and students wear masks throughout the conduct of the teaching/guidance activities.

• Sharing of items like notebook, pens/pencil, eraser, water bottle etc. amongst students should not be allowed.

Conduct of skill based training in workshops/laboratories

• For practical activities in laboratories maximum capacity per session based on redesigned spaces, may be planned and scheduled accordingly.

• Ensure that the equipments have been disinfected, particularly the frequently touched surfaces before and after each use.

• Ensure a floor area of 4m2 per person is available for working on equipment/work station.

• Ensure that members sanitize their hands before and after using training equipment. For such purpose hand sanitizer should be provided at workstations/simulation labs etc.

Activities in common areas – library, mess/canteen, common rooms, gymnasium etc.

• Physical distancing of 6 feet needs to be maintained

• Persons using the common areas need to use mask/face cover all the time

• Cafeteria/mess facility, if any within the premises, shall remain closed.

Transportation to and from the institution

If transportation facility is being managed by the school, proper physical distancing, sanitization of buses/other transport vehicles (with 1% sodium hypochlorite) shall be ensured.

Hygiene and Sanitation

• Daily cleaning of the floors shall be taken up.

• Provision of soap in toilets and hand sanitizers in other common areas in sufficient quantity must be ensured.

• Cleaning and regular disinfection (using 1% sodium hypochlorite) of frequently touched surfaces (door knobs, elevator buttons, hand rails, chairs, benches, washroom fixtures, etc.) to be made Page 5 of 5 mandatory in all class rooms, laboratories, lockers, parking areas, other common areas etc. before beginning of classes and at the end of the day.

• Teaching materials, computers, laptops, printers, shall be disinfected with 70% alcohol wipes.

• Deep cleaning of all drinking and hand washing stations, washrooms and lavatories shall be ensured.

• Students and employee should be advised to dispose of used face covers / masks in separate covered bins placed in classrooms, work stations and other common areas. The same may remain stored in the bins for 3 days and disposed of as dry general solid waste after cutting/shredding.

• Students should not be involved in any of the cleaning activities for health safety reasons.

SOP to be followed in case a student/teacher/employee develops symptoms (fever, cough, difficulty in breathing)

• Place the ill person in a room or area where they are isolated from others.

• Inform parents/guardians as the case may be.

• Patient will remain isolated while wearing a mask/face cover till such time they are examined by a doctor.

• Immediately inform the nearest medical facility (hospital/clinic) or call the state or district helpline.

• A risk assessment shall be undertaken by the designated public health authority (district RRT/treating physician) and accordingly further action be initiated regarding management of case, their contacts and need for disinfection.

• Disinfection of the premises to be taken up if the person is found positive.

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News Network
November 26,2024

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The extremist Israeli finance minister has called for the occupation of the Gaza Strip and halving the population of the Palestinian territory that is reeling from almost 14 months of genocide.  

Bezalel Smotrich, who has a history of racist statements against Palestinians, made the controversial remarks during a conference of the Yesha Council settler group on Monday.

“We can occupy Gaza and thin the population by half within two years,” through encouraging the so-called “voluntary emigration," he said.

The racist minister also urged the Tel Aviv regime to use its favorable ties with the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump to implement the plan.

“Occupying Gaza is not a dirty word,” he further claimed.

Once the success of the “voluntary emigration" is proven in the besieged Gaza Strip, it can be replicated in the occupied West Bank, he added.

Last month, Smotrich urged the full annexation of the West Bank and Gaza, asserting that Israel should unequivocally declare there would be no Palestinian state.

Israel launched its brutal Gaza onslaught on October 7, 2023, after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out a historic operation against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

However, nearly 14 months into the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has failed to achieve its declared objectives of finding captives held in Gaza and eliminating Hamas.

So far, the occupying regime has killed at least 44,235 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 104,638 others, in Gaza. 

It has been committing the war crimes of starvation and of intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population in the besieged territory.

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News Network
November 16,2024

Mangaluru: The Kavoor police in Mangaluru, Karnataka, have arrested three individuals from Kerala in connection with two separate cybercrime cases, including one involving extortion under the guise of a "digital arrest."

City Commissioner of Police Anupam Agrawal reported that one of the arrested individuals, Nisar, a resident of Ernakulam district, posed as a CBI officer. He allegedly threatened the complainant with arrest and extorted Rs 68 lakh. A case has been filed under sections 66 (C) and 66 (D) of the IT Act, and sections 308 (2) and 381 (4) of BNS.

In another case, the Kavoor police arrested two men, Sahil K P of Thiruvannur, Kozhikode, and Muhammad Nashath of Mappila Koyilandy, Kerala, in connection with a share trade fraud. The accused are alleged to have deceived the complainant by promising substantial profits from an investment in the stock market. Trusting the fraudsters, the complainant invested Rs 90 lakh, which was subsequently lost. A case has been registered under sections 66 (C) and 66 (D) of the IT Act, and sections 318 (4) and 3 (5) of BNS.

The accused were arrested in Koyilandi and presented before the court. The operation was carried out under the guidance of City Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal, led by Mangaluru North Sub-Division ACP Srikanth K, Kavoor Inspector Raghavendra Byndoor, Kavoor PSI Mallikarjuna Biradara, and staff members Ramanna Shetty, Bhuvaneshwari, Rajappa Kashibai, Praveen N, and Malatesh. 

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News Network
November 25,2024

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Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has instructed the Hindu Religious Endowment Department to submit a proposal for constructing a gold chariot for the presiding deity of the state, Chamundeshwari, official sources said on Monday.

The directive follows a request from Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Dinesh Gooligowda, who highlighted the historical and cultural significance of the Chamundeshwari Temple on Chamundi Hill in Mysuru, which dates back to the 12th century AD.

Gooligowda noted that the existing wooden chariot, donated by devotees from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, has deteriorated over time.

“Devotees have expressed their desire to organise a ‘rathotsava’ using a gold chariot for Goddess Chamundeshwari. This proposal has been under consideration for some time, with an estimated cost of Rs 100 crore,” the MLC said.

He emphasised that the government’s financial involvement would not be required, as devotees are willing to contribute towards making the chariot a reality.

Gooligowda proposed a deadline for the 2025 Dasara festival for the completion of the chariot, ensuring it is ready for the grand procession featuring the idol of Chamundeshwari.

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