22 schools closed over SOP violations
The authorities have closed down 22 educational institutes in the last 48 hours for not complying with government-issued coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs), according to a statement issued by the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC).
“During the last 48 hours, 22 educational institutions across Pakistan have been closed due to non-compliance of health SOPs/protocols and disease prevalence,” read the statement yesterday.
As per the breakdown, 16 educational institutions have been closed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one in the federal capital, and five in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier this week, the NCOC had said a “major educational institute” in the federal capital was sealed after a spike in Covid-19 cases was reported from it.
The Covid-19 respiratory disease is caused by the coronavirus.
“A major educational institution sealed in Islamabad. Due to targeted testing, 16 cases were reported from the subject institution,” read the statement.
The NCOC had also shared that contact tracing will be done to “ensure containment” of Covid-19 cases in the city.
The closures of the schools came shortly after all educational institutions, including seminaries, reopened from Tuesday after a six-month break, amid concerns over the implementation of safety protocols and fears of a second wave of the coronavirus.
The government closed schools, colleges and universities in March to curb the spread of coronavirus.
On September 7, Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood announced that all higher education institutions in the country will reopen in phases from September 15.