Chennai: Schools in Tamil Nadu reopened on Monday after a gap of nearly a month due to the third COVID-19 wave and its surge across the country. Though cases have started showing a downward trend, the parents continue to mull on sending their children to the schools since coronavirus infections are still high in the state.

  


All the schools in Tamil Nadu resumed offline classes as per the government order on February 1 by following Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

According to SOP, the schools are told to check whether the students are wearing masks, their temperature and to ensure physical distancing during class hours. During lunch hours, the teachers are told to monitor the students to avoid any infection spread. 


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The government also announced the dates for pre-board exams for Class 10 students. The revision exams are set to take place in two cycles starting from February 9 and March 28. The revision exams were earlier scheduled to begin in January. 


However, some of the parents are skeptical to send their children below Class 9 to schools and suggested that online classes be held for Class 1-8 students until cases come down in the state. 


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As of Monday, Tamil Nadu reported 19,280 coronavirus cases and 20 deaths. The capital Chennai recorded the highest of 2,897 coronavirus cases closely followed by Coimbatore with 2,456 cases.


Meanwhile, the kindergarten and playschools will remain shut until further orders. The schools in Pune, Haryana and Rajasthan are also reopening on February 1.