Odisha announces reopening of schools for classes 10, 12 from 26 July
Online classes will continue for the rest including 10th and 12th
The Odisha government has decided to begin physical classes for 10th and 12th from July 26, informed Satyabrata Sahu, Principal Secretary, Department of School and Mass Education on Saturday.
However, attending physical classes will be students' decision. Online classes will continue for the rest including 10th and 12th. The state government will soon issue SOP for the same.
On Friday, the state government asked all of its departments and subordinate offices to function with full strength of employees. The direction came as the Covid situation has slightly improved in the state.
The order was issued by the General Administration and Public Grievance Department. It will come into effective from coming Monday (July 19).
"Most of the employees are now fully vaccinated and are required mandatorily to attend office regularly. In case any employee has been unable to get vaccinated for medical or some other compelling reason(s), he/she must apply for an exemption to the Head of the office," the order said.
On receipt of such applications, the concerned head of the office will consider it on a case-to-case basis. Employees who are neither vaccinated nor exempted would not be permitted to attend office and their absence will be treated as willful, said the order.
All state government offices will remain closed on Saturdays. The government offices and employees have been asked to take all precautionary measures to prevent spread of infection.
"In case of detection of COVID infection cases in any office, the protocol issued by the GA&PG department shall be followed and be reported to the concerned head of the office," it said.
Earlier, the offices were functioning with 50 per cent strength of employees due to Covid situation.
On Friday, the state reported 2,070 new infection cases, which took the tally to 9,49,929, while 64 more fatalities pushed the toll to 4,925. Of the new cases, 1,195 were reported from quarantine centres, and the rest detected during contact tracing.
Khurda district, of which state capital Bhubaneswar is part, recorded the maximum number of new cases and fatalities at 446 and 22 respectively. Other districts which reported more than 100 fresh cases include Cuttack at 319, Balasore at 176, Jajpur at 136 and Puri at 109.
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