Dimapur, March 16 (MExN): The Government of Nagaland has announced its decision to allow reopening of residential schools, hostels, guest houses/paying guest accommodation for students of classes 6 and above with effect from March 17 in the State.
In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government highlighted the need for taking measures for preventing and containing the spread of the virus for the safety of students, teachers, staff, employees, and all others concerned.
In this regard, the government has issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the reopening, for strict compliance by all concerned throughout the State. The SOPs for reopening of schools for classes 6 and above issued earlier on February 1, 2021 is also to be followed, it notified.
Hostels have been allowed to open only in such cases where it is necessary while strictly observing the safety and health preventive measures as issued by the Government from time to time.
Students who are not local residents of the city /town/locality, or do not have any support at home, or do not have facility for on-line education may be prioritized for allotment of hostel facilities, the notification stated.
Boarders/hostellers shall be allowed to return to the boarding facility in phases and screening of every boarder/hosteller will be conducted before allowing boarding in the hostel, residential schools and guest houses/paying guest accommodation. Only asymptomatic boarders will be allowed to join, it added.
Faculty, staff and students have been directed to submit self-disclosure, if any of their family members have been infected/availed treatment for COVID-19.
Thermal Screening of all resident students should be ensured and pulse oximeter to check oxygen saturation levels of any symptomatic person must be arranged, the government notified.
Since residential students may be coming from different locations, they shall remain in quarantine for monitoring of their health condition for the specified period of 14 days before being allowed to attend classes or as per the policy of the State Government for quarantine issued from time to time (even if a COVID -19 negative test report is submitted), the notification stated.
The number of boarders is to be limited in order to avoid crowding in hostel areas, it added.
In shared rooms/dormitories, the beds should be placed at a distance of 6 feet from each other. Temporary partitions may be considered, if feasible, it notified.
Density in dining halls, common rooms, playing areas are also to be limited, keeping in view the requirement of physical distancing.
Hygiene conditions should be regularly monitored in kitchens, dining halls, bathrooms and toilets etc. Resident students and staff should avoid or limit visiting the markets. As far as possible, essential items may be made available within the campus, as per the SOPs. Hostels should be out of bound for all persons except essential staff with known health status.
Institutions have also been directed to regularly monitor the health of its students, faculty, and staff.
Any violation of the provisions of the SOPs will attract action as per legal provisions against the management, employees, staff of the residential schools/hostels/guest houses, or students, as the case may be, as per the notification.
