COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lankan authorities on Monday announced that the schools will partially reopen from next week, after they had been closed for nearly three months due to a COVID-19 surge.

Accordingly, primary classes will commence on Jan. 11 while Grade 11 is expected to resume on Jan. 25. However, the education ministry has decided not to commence schools in the capital Colombo and it’s suburbs from where COVID-19 cases are still detected from those areas.

Sri Lanka closed schools in October when the second wave of the COVID-19 erupted after two clusters — one centered on a garment factory and the other on a fish market — emerged in and around Colombo.

In November, schools in some areas reopened, but they were also again closed for the school holidays in December.

Sri Lanka has also banned public gatherings and imposed restrictions on public transportation.