NCOC closed various educational institutions over flouting SOPs: Minister

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood on Saturday said the National Command Operation Center’s (NCOC) had closed various educational institutions over flouting health guidelines and the standard operating procedures (SOPs).

While addressing the media in Lahore today, the federal education minister said that the decision to re-open primary schools would be taken after the National Command Operation Center’s (NCOC) meeting on September 29.

He said that the government had started random testing of students for COVID-19 after the resumption of educational activities in schools and universities across the country on September 15.

The minister said, “One percent infection rate has been reported from educational institutions which are satisfactory for the government”.

He added that the government’s action against COVID-19 was being appreciated internationally and economic activity has resumed, with the country heading towards development despite the pandemic.

The federal and the Sindh governments were at weird with each other last week over the second phase of the reopening of the educational institutions as more COVID-19 cases at schools and colleges emerged.

Sindh health minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho had warned against opening schools from September 28, however, provincial education minister Saeed Ghani stuck to his decision of commencing on-campus classes for all grades from the said date.

A day earlier, the Sindh minister announced that all classes below the eighth grade will resume on September 28 and not the slightest bit of violation of safety protocols on the part of school administration will be tolerated.