Gangtok July 26: The Sikkim government has extended the closure of all educational institutes in the state till August 31, amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases, a minister said on Sunday. Earlier, the government had said that the institutes, which were shut down following the imposition of the nationwide lockdown in March, would reopen after August 3. Also Read | Actor Sonu Sood Provides Tractor to Two Girls Seen Manually Ploughing Farm in Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor: Live News Breaking And Coronavirus Updates on July 26, 2020.

Teachers, however, will continue to impart lessons online, Education Minister Kunga Nima Lepcha said. The health and safety of the students were of utmost priority for the state government, but education, too, has to be given equal attention, he stated. Also Read | Congress to Stage Protest Outside All Raj Bhavans in the Country, Except in Rajasthan, Says State PCC Chief Govind Singh Dotasara.

The minister said his department has designed online, offline and homeschooling programmes for students to ensure they don't miss out on important lessons.

All educational institutions, government and private, shall remain closed till August 31. The situation will be reviewed again at an appropriate time, Lepcha said.

Earlier in the day, the government had extended the statewide lockdown, which was scheduled to end on Sunday, till August 1. The state reported its first COVID-19 death on Sunday after a 74-year-old man succumbed to the disease at a state-run hospital here.

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