Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday announced detailed guidelines for reopening schools in Andhra Pradesh from November 2. The schools will restart in a limited manner, starting from November 2 after being shut for more than five months since mid-March owing to a nationwide lockdown to curb Covid-19. Classes will be held on alternate days till 1 pm.

The Chief Minister held a video-conference with district collectors from his Tadepalli office on Tuesday. Schools will reopen from November 2, but necessary protocols including social distancing and proper sanitisation will have to be followed”. According to the guidelines, only 50 per cent of students in a class will be allowed to go to schools. The remaining 50 per cent can come the next day.

.Odd-even formula for running classes besides running schools in two shifts have been suggested. All classes need not attend school every day. Classes will be held on alternate days. Students of Class I, III, V and VII will have to attend their classes on one days, while students of Class II, IV, VI and VIII will attend the schools the next day. Classes in schools with more than 750 students will have to be held once in three days.

Where schools are conducting online classes, and some students prefer to attend online classes rather than physically attend school have been permitted to do so.

School managements have to take all precautionary measures like maintaining six feet distance among students with regulated seating plans and rules of engagement and staggered time tables. Schools have to undergo deep sanitization ahead of the reopening from classrooms to kitchens, water tanks and school transport.