Gurugram, Apr 9 (IANS): Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday announced closure of schools for classes 1 to 8 till April 30 amid spike in Covid-19 cases across the state.

Khattar chaired an annual meeting of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) here.

"We are monitoring the situation in the state and are focusing more on testing instead of 'night curfew' or 'lockdown'. In the coming days the government will increase testing at the market places, malls, bus stands, railway stations to contain the spread of coronavirus. We don't have to panic but should work hard to fight the pandemic and adhere to the covid guidelines," the Chief Minister said.

The announcement comes after scores of school students and teachers across several districts of the state had tested positive for Covid-19.

Government school students from various parts of the state recently tested positive for the disease after which these schools we closed until further orders. The students who were asymptomatic too had tested positive during a random sampling drive carried out by the health department.

Earlier, the state government had allowed classes from 3 to 12 to open in a phased-manner.