COVID-19 surge: J&K schools for students up to Class 9 closed till Apr 18

Srinagar, Apr 4: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday announced that all schools for students up to Class 9 will remain closed for two weeks from April 5 in view of the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the union territory.

Physical classes for students from classes 10 to 12 will also be suspended for a week, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha''s office said in a tweet on Sunday.

This comes days after the Jammu and Kashmir administration asked all district magistrates to take a call on the continuation of physical classes in schools amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in the union territory.

"In view of rising trend in #COVID19 cases in J&K & likelihood of young children getting infected & transmitting infection in large numbers, ALL classes up to & including Class 9 in schools will be closed for 2 weeks in all schools beginning on Monday, 5 April till 18 April, 21 in J&K," Sinha''s office tweeted.

Schools for students of classes 10, 11 and 12 will also be closed for a week, it said.

"Further, all gatherings for social and customary functions will be restricted to 200 only and after following due COVID SOPs," it added.

COVID-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir have shown an upward trajectory over the last few weeks. The union territory had recorded 501 fresh COVID-19 cases on Saturday.

Several schools in many districts were shut in the last few days after many students and teachers tested positive for COVID-19.