BMC issues stringent guidelines before physical reopening of schools

MUMBAI: Schools in Mumbai are set to resume physical classes for students in standard 8^th to 12^th from October 4. In view of this, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday, September 30, issued a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for schools.

BMC issued following guidelines –

A student can attend school only with the parent’s or guardian’s consent as attendance is not compulsory.

Masks are mandatory for everyone, all the time.

It has been recommended not to use air conditioning in any class room. However, if really needed, the temperature is to be maintained above 24 degree Celsius.

Any student having any symptom of COVID-19 like fever, cold, shortness of breath, redness of eyes, swelling of fingers, hands and joints, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain, has to be taken to a healthcare facility immediately.

All the teachers and other staff must have been vaccinated before a school starts.

Each student will go through thermal scanning each day at the time of entering the school.

Sanitation and cleanliness should be regularly maintained in the school.

Social distancing is to be maintained all the times, including in school buses or other vehicles that ferries students.

Events like assembly, gatherings, annual day functions and others, that may lead to large gatherings or crowd should not be organised at all.

A single class room can have a maximum of 15-20 students at a time.

The total duration of actual classes in a day is not to exceed three to four hours. Additionally, no lunch break is to be introduced in the time table.

If by any chance, even a single student or staff member is found to have contracted the coronavirus infection in a school, the school should be immediately closed and the building should be disinfected.