Students' visit to school from September 21 is subject to parents' nod

Karnataka on Monday issued guidelines for Unlock 4.0, allowing high school students to visit schools from September 21 subject to “written consent” from parents and metro rail services to start on September 7 in a graded manner.

The order for Unlock 4.0, issued by Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar, mostly repeats what the Ministry of Home Affairs has said.

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) will issue the standard operating procedures for metro services to resume on September 7, the order said.

“Students of Classes 9 to 12 may be permitted to visit their schools, in areas outside the containment zones only, on a voluntary basis, for taking guidance from their teachers. This will be subject to written consent of their parents/guardians and will be permitted with effect from September 21 for which SOP will be issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Primary and Secondary Education Department, Government of Karnataka,” the order stated.

From September 21, the government will permit social, academic, sports, entertainment, cultural, religious and political functions with an attendance ceiling of 100 persons. It will be mandatory to wear face masks, maintain social distancing, undergo thermal scanning and other precautionary measures.

“However, marriage-related gatherings, with the number of guests not exceeding 50, and funeral/last rites-related gatherings, with the number of persons not exceeding 20, will continue to be allowed up to September 20, after which the ceiling of 100 persons will apply,” the order stated.

As decided by the Centre, the state government will allow open air theatres from September 21, while cinema theatres, swimming pools and entertainment parks will remain closed.