Himachal Pradesh schools And Other Educational Institutes To Remain Closed Till May 1

Himachal Pradesh schools and other educational institutes will remain shut till May 1.

This decision was made after a COVID-19 review meeting was held to assess the situation in the state. The meeting was chaired by Himachal Pradesh's chief minister Jai Ram Thakur. This comes after Himachal Pradesh recorded 1,695 COVID-19 cases.

Himachal Pradesh government orders closure of all educational institutes till May 1 after a review meeting chaired by CM Jai Ram Thakur over COVID-19 situation

The state has recorded 1,695 cases today. pic.twitter.com/3sXreiETb0

— ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2021

Education department seeks suggestions for opening Himachal Pradesh schools

Before this decision was made, Himachal Pradesh's education department sought suggestions on whether schools should be opened, or whether board exams should be conducted.

In a letter to all deputy directors and principal/headmasters, Director, Higher Education, Amarjeet Sharma said that the decision to close schools and postpone exams has been taken for the greater good. Sharma then directed the Deputy Directors and principal/headmasters to seek suggestions regarding the matter from school management committees (SMC), teachers, students, parents, employees, and submit them within a week's time.

Besides this, suggestions for taking online/offline classes of X and XII students have also been taken into consideration.

Earlier in the day, 49 staff members and students of Pinegrove School near Dharampur town in Solan district tested positive for COVID-19. Because of this incident, the total number of cases in the two schools in the Solan district soared to 150.

Then Deputy Commissioner KC Chaman told the media that the situation was quite concerning at the Pinegrove Schools in Dharampur and Subathu. They have now been declared as containment zones.

Earlier, 122 cases were reported in Dalhousie Public School which is located in Chamba district. Out of the 122 cases, 99 were students and 23 staff members.

Besides these two districts, the COVID-19 situation is growing worse in other districts like Kangra, Una and Sirmaur, as per reports.

Other states shutting schools in India

As the number of positive COVID-19 cases saw a sudden rise, the state government announced the preponement of summer vacation in schools. So far, Delhi, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh have announced to close schools for summer vacations before the pre-decided dates. Read about it here.