Decisions to reopen schools and colleges continue to follow different patterns across the length and breadth of the country. Uttar Pradesh has now announced that it will be extending the order to keep schools and colleges shut until January 30. This is being done to check the relentless increase of COVID cases in the state. The government has also announced that online classes will continue. Additional Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh Avnish Kumar Awasthi made these announcements on January 22.
The state government had announced on January 16 that schools and colleges will be required to stay shut until January 23, 2022. This was done after the third wave of COVID-19, driven by the highly transmittable Omicron variant, hit the state, forcing the shift back to online classes. There are currently 95,866 active COVID-19 cases in the state.
Maharashtra, on the other hand, has announced that it is reopening schools a week in advance since cases have been declining in the state. Students will be allowed to attend in-person classes from January 24.
