Chandigarh Administration to reopen colleges next month with riders

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 20

With a sharp decline in fresh Covid-19 cases, the UT Administration has decided to reopen institutions of higher education from next month.

The decision was taken at a review meeting chaired by UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore.

According to an order issued by UT Adviser Dharam Pal, all institutions of higher learning, including universities and colleges, will be allowed to open for the next academic session from August, subject to the condition that all teaching and non-teaching staff and students must have received at least one dose of the Covid vaccine a minimum of two weeks ago. However, it will be reviewed again in the coming days considering the pandemic situation.

To give a boost to economic activities, the Administration has also allowed commercial events such as exhibitions and shows only with prior permission from the SDM concerned. The Administration has put a limit of 200 persons or 50 per cent of available space and strict adherence to the Covid protocol for such events.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation has been directed to tackle waterlogging in the city during the monsoon.

Over violation of Covid norms, the Administrator directed the police to take strict action against the violators, particularly those not wearing masks at Sukhna Lake and public places.

During the meeting, Dr Jagat Ram, Director, PGI, said almost all OPDs had opened in the PGI.

Dr Amandeep Kang, Director, Health Services, said 7,09,180 doses of the vaccine had been administered in Chandigarh so far. As many as 77.25 per cent of the eligible population had been given the first dose and 20.4 per cent the second dose. She said vaccination had been scaled up in the city during the last week and about 8,800 persons were being inoculated daily. Currently, about 38,000 doses were available in government hospitals and 46,700 doses of the vaccine were yet to be received from the Centre this month.

She said a door-to-door survey-cum-vaccination drive at Dadu Majra, Dhanas and Kishangarh for left-out eligible population had already been carried out and 3,000 people were vaccinated during this drive with the help of NGOs and councillors. The same exercise would continue in other parts of the city, she said, adding that two CTU buses had been converted into vaccination facilities for the purpose of vaccination.

Staff, students must have received one jab

According to an order issued by UT Adviser Dharam Pal, all institutions of higher learning, including universities and colleges, will be allowed to open for the next academic session from August, subject to the condition that all teaching and non-teaching staff and students must have received at least one dose of the Covid vaccine a minimum of two weeks ago. However, it will be reviewed again in the coming days considering the pandemic situation.

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