Panaji, Jan 5 : The Goa government's Education Department formally shut down schools and colleges from Class 8 to 12 in view of the surge in Covid-19 cases in the state. The formal directive was issued by the state Education Director Bhushan Savaikar in a circular sent to all heads of educational institutions in the coastal state. "As Covid-19 cases are rising in the state, it is decided by the competent authority that the educational institutions from Std VIII and XII will remain closed with immediate effect up to January 26. The students in the age group of 15 to 18 years of St. IX to XII may be called in the school for vaccination purposes only by following Covid-19 appropriate behaviour," the circular said. "Lectures and classes to be conducted on online mode only," the circular added. The directive comes days after the Goa government's task force on Covid management headed by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant recommended the closure of schools as well as a night curfew to control the rising number of Covid cases in the state. On Tuesday, the state conducted 4,261 tests out of which 592 cases were positive at a positivity rate of nearly 13 per cent. There are currently 2,763 active Covid cases in the coastal state. /IANS