Punjab Health Minister Says Schools May Close Over Violation Of SOPs

Punjab Health Minister, Dr. Yasmeen Rashid has warned about the school's closure over the violation of SOPs. The schools have been reopened for the students of grades 9 to 12 according to the directives issued by the federal education minister. So Dr. Yasmeen has asked the students to follow the standard operating procedures and instructed the schools to ensure the proper implementation of the preventative measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. She highlighted that the rate of COVID-19 infection rate is higher in Lahore in comparison to the other cities of Punjab and in the case of non-compliance with the SOPs the schools will be immediately closed again. 

Earlier the meeting of education ministers and health ministers was held to review the situation of the coronavirus before reopening the educational institutes. It was decided to resume the classes for students of grade nine to twelve as the students have to appear in the annual board exams that will be conducted in May/June. The education minister has said that this year the students will not be promoted to the next class without the exams. The students of the grade 1 to 8 will attend the schools from 1st February 2021 and the universities will also be reopened in February. The Sindh education minister, Saeed Ghani has also announced that the educational institutes in the province will be reopened as per the decision of NCOC. 

The national command and operation center will review the situation of the coronavirus in a week to again decide the reopening schedule of the primary classes. It might be possible that the schools might close in the areas with the higher infection rate. The federal education minister has said that the COVID-19 positivity ratio has gone down as it was in November but still the risk is high.