Omicron: Centre likely to issue advisory on reopening schools today

New Delhi, Jan 28: The Union health ministry on Friday likely to issue an advisory soon to reopen schools across the country following all COVID-19 related protocols.

"COVID-19 has affected children of all age groups. However, the mortality rate and severity of disease in children are negligible. Health experts believe that it is high time children return to schools," ANI reported quoting sources.

"However, it will be up to states to decide whether they are ready to open schools or not," ANI quoted a source as saying.

Schools have been closed in most parts of the country for physical classes after the emergence of the new Omicron variant of the virus. Students have been mostly attending online classes, barring some brief periods in between, for almost two years now due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"As parents have been demanding for the opening of schools, the Union government is working on a model for staggered opening of schools following all Covid related protocols," a highly-placed source said.

A delegation of parents led by Chandrakant Lahariya, an epidemiologist and public policy specialist, and Centre for Policy Research president Yamini Aiyar, had met Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday to submit a memorandum signed by over 1,600 parents demanding that the schools be reopened.

Similar demands have been made in some other states as well, though another section of parents has been favouring the continuation of online classes.

The Delhi government had recommended reopening of schools in the national capital, but a decision on this was postponed till the next meeting by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority on Thursday.