Sikkim to reopen its schools again, for all students, from October 18

Students in Sikkim can now attend in-person classes starting next week. In a notification, the education department of the Himalayan state said that students from Lower KG to Class VIII can now attend offline classes from October 18. Classroom teachings had already started for Classes IX to XII from September 27. 

"Initially, only 50 per cent of the students should be called on alternate days with parental consent, which shall be further increased based on monitoring of the situation," the notification said. The decision was taken “as it has been observed that the positivity rate of COVID-19 has come down considerably and re-opening of all classes can now be considered”, it said.

A month back, the state had reopened its schools and had closed them within a week. In-person classes were being held for students of Classes IX and above. However, after some schools reported that at least five students were found to be COVID-positive, it was decided to shut educational institutions again till October 31.

The Sikkim government on Tuesday, October 12, lifted inter-state travel restrictions during the festive season, allowing people to enter the state without producing negative RT-PCR test reports or vaccination certificates at the border, as the COVID-19 situation has improved, according to a notification. The notification was issued by the Home Department. This will help both residents and tourists who want to travel during the festive season.