Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty has ruled out closure of schools for now amid concerns over the increase in COVID-19 cases, particularly the Omicron variant, in the State.
The Minister told mediapersons here on Thursday that since the reopening of schools on November 1, the government had been very watchful of the situation and classes had been going on smoothly. If the number of Omicron cases increased and experts recommended that schools should not remain open any longer, the government would make a call then.
The Minister had a few days ago ruled out postponement of the SSLC and Plus Two examinations following concerns over Omicron, adding that a decision would be taken if the situation warranted.
So far, the State has reported 280 cases caused by the Omicron variant of COVID-19, with 50 cases confirmed on Thursday alone.
In neighbouring Tamil Nadu, physical classes have been discontinued for classes 1-IX as part of stricter curbs. Playschools and kindergartens too will remain closed. In-person learning has been allowed for classes X, XI, and XII.
