The Srinagar administration has clarified that there is no order or instruction directing the tuition centres in the district to close operations. The clarification follows an order issued on 31 December 2020 instructing the tuition centres in the district to report COVID-19 positive cases to the district administration. Chairing a meeting with the tuition centres association of Srinagar, the Additional Deputy Commissioner Srinagar M. Haneef Balkhi clarified that there was no instruction to close the tuition centres, adding that the aim of the order in question was to ensure that positive cases if found were reported to the administration in order to make sure the required action like sampling and sanitisation was taken to prevent spread of COVID-19. Additional District Magistrate Masarat Hashim who is the Nodal Officer for COVID-19 Mitigation Operations Srinagar while speaking on the occasion informed that the closure instructions in the 31 December order were in line with the J&K DMRRR order dated 29 November 2020 which directs for 48-hour closure of institutions or buildings where two or more COVID-19 positive cases are reported in order to carry out their disinfection. He said the order is a reiteration of the J&K DMRRR order instructing strict adherence to all preventive guidelines and SOPs issued for preventing spread of the COVID-19 disease. He said the focus on tuition centres becomes important in view of a large number of students in a class and regular interaction of the same group adding that this necessitates more precautions to prevent emergence of COVID-19 clusters. Meanwhile the district administration said that detailed guidelines for tuition centres will be notified soon adding that the District Disaster Management Authority in coordination with the Department of Social & Preventive Medicine will notify the guidelines. The administration also said that there will be regular inspections of tuition centres by health teams to ensure adherence to preventive guidelines.
