Mizoram govt to allow reopening of schools for students of Class 10 and 12 from January 22

The Mizoram government has decided to allow reopening of schools for students of class 10 and 12 from January 22 and places of worship from February. According to the new unlock guidelines issued on Saturday schools and hostels will reopen from January 22 for students of class 10 and 12.

The guidelines said churches will be allowed to open with 50 per cent seating capacity or 200 attendees on every Saturday and Sunday at noon from first February. Churches in Christian majority Mizoram are closed since March 22 last year due to COVID-19 pandemic. The new guidelines also said any student intending to join his or her hostel must produce a COVID-19 negative certificate obtained within 96 hours before entry into the hostel.

Higher institutions for undergraduate and postgraduate students will be allowed to open from February and training or coaching institutes will also open with either 50 per cent sitting capacity or not more than 50 students from now onwards, the order said. The maximum number of attendees in funeral and marriage reception has been raised from 35 to 100. The number of attendees in indoor games, cinema hall, auditorium, community hall and social events (indoor) is fixed at 50.

However, games and sports practices and social events held outdoors will be allowed with 100 attendees. In any function related to organisation or party, the number of attendees allowed is 100 but deputy commissioners can allow up to 150 attendees by special permission. All business shops, establishments and commercial activities will function normally under strict COVID-19 protocols.

Any individual, who is returning from other parts of the country, will have to be placed under quarantine at designated facility but those who produce RT-PCR or TreuNat labs negative test certificate, which is not older than four days, will be exempted from the quarantine protocol.

Any state resident, who goes outside and returns to the state within four days, need not go for quarantine. However, any person returning from Europe will be placed under quarantine at designated facilities and will not be allowed for home quarantine facility. Night curfew will remain in force in Aizawl and other district headquarters from 8.30 pm to 4.30 am every day till further orders, it added.