22 educational institutions shut over noncompliance of virus SOPs: NCOC

Around 22 educational institutions across the country have been closed due to non compliance of health standard operating procedures (SOPs), protocols and disease prevalence in the last 48 hours.

As many 16 educational institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), one in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and five in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) have been closed, said the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) in a media release.

According to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the government, masks were mandatory for all teachers and students, while schools, colleges, and university administrations were directed to ensure availability of sensitizers at the entry gates.

Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood on September 07, while announcing the reopening of schools, colleges, and universities, had said all the educational institutions would be reopened in three phases to avoid another wave of the virus.

As per the decision taken by the government, educational institutions from grade nine to onwards were reopened on September 15 and if the pandemic situation remain controlled, then students in grade six to eight will return to school on September 23, while students in nursery to grade five will return to classes on September 30.

Religious seminaries across the country were also reopened. Similarly, the vocational and technical institutions started functioning as well.

On the other hand, 545 persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.

As of September 17, there are 132,818 coronavirus cases in Sindh, 98,041 in Punjab, 37,185 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 16,005 in Islamabad, 13,798 in Balochistan, 2,451 in Azad Kashmir and 3,336 in Gilgit-Baltistan.