|
Dear Friend,
I hope you have been well during these difficult times. As heavily reported in the media, the novel coronavirus cases in India have been severely rising. The second wave hit the country with a force under which both the citizens and frontline workers are continually reeling. The central government has instructed states to impose restrictions and establish protocols as they see fit based on the situation there.
I know that you are concerned for the Community's safety with the exponentially rising number of cases in India. While the situation in the rest of the country is worrisome, once again, Arunachal Pradesh is fortunate in this regard. Owing to our small population, low frequency of travel, and rigorous testing at entry points, Arunachal Pradesh has fewer cases than in the rest of the country.
Nonetheless, in the hope of stopping the uncontrolled spread of the virus, the Government of Arunachal Pradesh has issued a directive to all nonprofit organizations as well as private and government schools, to declare the month of May 2021 as summer vacation.
We reached out to the local authorities hoping to continue operating on lockdown as we did last year. However, in light of the severity of the second wave, government officials have insisted that we follow the directive and close the Community for the summer. They expressed concerns that Jhamtse Gatsal could have a severe adverse impact if, by any chance, someone got infected with Covid-19.
Therefore, after discussion with community members, we decided to comply with the government's directive and have sent the children home for a month-long summer vacation. We sensitized our children with all the information regarding safety protocols to protect themselves from the novel coronavirus.
Per government guidelines, the school may reopen on June 1st, depending on the number of cases in the state. We will stay in touch with the children's parents and guardians to stay informed about their health and safety throughout this period. In the meantime, all of the staff has decided to remain in The Community and continue working. We will keep you posted on further developments.
Thank you for understanding and your support.
With heartfelt prayers and gratitude,
Lobsang Phuntsok
Founder, Jhamtse Gatsal Children's Community
|
