Delhi schools to remain closed till further notice to curb Covid-19

The Delhi government on Friday announced that all schools will remain shut amid the concerning surge in the Covid-19 which has affected nearly seven lakh people and killed 11,157 in the Capital, as the country has been hit by the second wave of the pandemic, the Hindustan Times reported.

Several other states and Union territories have also closed down schools and colleges to curb the surging infections. "Due to increasing cases of Covid-19, all schools, government and private, in Delhi are being closed for all classes till further orders," chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted.

After the pandemic broke out last year, schools were shut for most students but those in Classes 9, 10, 11 and 12 had started attending them because of their board examinations, which are slated for May-June.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) came under fire from students and opposition parties alike for not cancelling or postponing the exams further.

Delhi's Covid-19 situation has been worsening. On Thursday, it registered 7,437 fresh cases, the highest since November. Last week, Delhi reported 4,684 new infections every day on average, the highest the seven-day average has touched since December 1.

In order to further curb the spread of the infection, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on April 6 imposed a night curfew in Delhi between 10pm and 5am till April 30.