Schools, colleges not to reopen, TN govt cancels nod for socio-political, religious events

The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday announced the revocation of its earlier permission to reopen schools from November 16 onwards for Classes 9, 10, 11 and 12 as well as holding of cultural programmes, community and political meetings with not more than 100 persons.

The state government said that since the parents had expressed conflicting views on the reopening of schools, the order to this effect has been cancelled.

The closure of schools will continue till further orders, a government statement said.

The government said that colleges and universities will however be reopened on December 2 only for researchers, final-year postgraduate and technical education students as also hostels only for them. However, online classes would continue for other students.

The State has also cancelled its order allowing social, political, religious and cultural events from November 16 permitting participation of a maximum of 100 people. Citing festival season and people congregating in large numbers in public places throwing anti-COVID-19 norms like social distancing to the winds, the government said curbs shall continue as regards such programmes and it includes those related to entertainment and education.

It has come to the government's notice that people gathered in large numbers in public places like markets, and they thronged bus terminals, "without paying attention to social distancing and wearing masks," an official release said here. Though the spread of the virus has been controlled in Tamil Nadu due to a slew of measures, when a possibility of a second wave of the pandemic could be seen in some foreign countries, it has become imperative to intensify curbs, the government said.

In view of the Deepavali festival on November 14, markets and shopping hubs like T Nagar here are teeming with people. The government had on October 31 said that social, political, religious and cultural events would be allowed from November 16, and permitted participation of a maximum of 100 people by adhering to measures like social distancing.