Uttarakhand: All state universities and colleges to reopen from 1 March

The colleges and universities are opening for the first time after the imposition of lockdown nearly a year ago due to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic. At present, the classes are being held online.

Anand Vardhan, the state Principal Secretary of the Higher Education Department, issued an order to all the district magistrates and vice-chancellors of the universities and colleges across the state regarding the matter.

Earlier, the schools in Uttarakhand for students of Classes 6 to 9 reopened on 8 February. Schools in the state had been reopened earlier in November last year only for classes 10 and 12 after a gap of over seven months.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), there are 491 active cases of COVID-19 in Uttarakhand and 94,850 patients have been cured of the disease.

"A total of 1,690 people have succumbed to the virus till now in the state," the ministry informed.

On Tuesday, the Uttarakhand government has issued an order to make the coronavirus test mandatory for people coming from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the wake of a surge in coronavirus cases in these states.

"Due to the rise in COVID19 cases in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, travellers from these states have to undergo testing on arrival in Uttarakhand at state borders, railway stations and Dehradun airport," said Dehradun District Magistrate.

The decision was taken in face of a sudden rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in several states.

With agency inputs