Covid-19 SOP extended to entire state ** Closure of classes from VI to VIII in all districts
HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, April 26: The state health and finance minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma has asked the DC to close down all the educational institutions in Kamrup Metropolitan as the district reported 1,153 fresh Covid-19 cases on Monday.
“With cases in Kamrup Metro exceeding 1000, I’ve advised the DC to shut down all educational institutions including hostels for 15 days from now. All other districts, where the numbers reach a threshold that require such measures, shall follow suit,” said Himanta in a tweet
Earlier on April 22, in a notification issued by Preetom Saikia, commissioner and secretary to the elementary/ secondary and higher education department, Kamrup Metropolitan deputy commissioner was authorised to issue closure orders of the educational institutions and hostels only if the 1,000 cases are detected in the district in a single day.
“In view of the rise in Covid-19 cases in Kamrup Metropolitan District, and to prevent its spread, in the event of detection of 1000 Covid-19 cases on the particular day, the deputy commissioner cum district magistrate of Kamrup Metropolitan District is hereby authorised to issue orders regarding closure of all Educational Institutions (government and non-government), colleges and universities, coaching institutions and all category of students hostels, till 04.05.2021.” read the order.
Meanwhile, in a partial modification of its earlier standard operating procedure (SOP), Assam government on Monday notified that the guidelines will now be applicable in all the districts of the state irrespective of the number of active cases.
Earlier, the SOP was mandatorily applicable only to the districts where active Covid cases were 100 or more.
The modified SOP also made the wearing of face masks mandatory even for a single person driving a vehicle from now on.
As per the order, in case of persons travelling in a private car, up to 100% of its seating capacity, wearing of face mask has been made mandatory for all the persons.
Earlier, state health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the closure of classes from VI to VIII standard (both government and private) in the districts where active Covid cases have crossed the 100 mark on a particular day.
Previously, the state government has authorised all the district administrations to declare a shutdown in all lower primary schools, pre-primary, up to class 5 (both government and private).
Sarma said, “Except in 9 districts namely Chirang, Biswanath, Baksa, Majuli, Dima Hasao, Charaideo, Hailakandi, South Salmara and West Karbi Anglong, the classes from VI to VIII in all the districts shall remain closed with immediate effect.”
However, the classes from IX, X up to college-level shall operate on a 50-50 basis, Sarma stated.
Taking to his official Twitter handle, Sarma said, “DCs of districts, where active #Covid-19 cases cross 100 on a particular day, have been authorised to suspend physical classroom assembly of students of Class VI to VIII in pvt & public schools. Online classes to be made available.”
The minister claimed that the state is comfortable with the current oxygen supply for the next 10 days.
“Over next 10 days we are comfortable with the oxygen supply. Over the next week we shall also operationalise 3 more oxygen plants. We’ve a stock of 25,000 #Remdevisir. In addition to patients in govt hospitals, we’re also supporting pvt hospitals,” he tweeted later.
“Assam is consuming 20 MT per day. Due to our concerted efforts including operationalisation of new PSA plants over the last 10 days, today our Oxygen production capacity has reached 61 MT per day. We’ve also expanded our Oxygen storage capacity to 468 MT,” Sarma added.
Sarma also stated that the state government has added 200 more ICU beds in the last 10 days to combat Covid-19.
“We’ve added 200 more ICU beds in the last 10 days, and efforts are on to increase this further. We’re grateful to the Govt of India for the support. As of today, we have enough beds, oxygen, medicine and ICU availability for the next 10 days” he stated.