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ISLAMABAD: The federal government has announced the closure of educational institutions partially from March 15 due to the rising number of coronavirus cases.
Addressing media after a meeting of education ministers at the National Command and Operations (NCOC), Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood said all educational institutions in Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would remain closed from March 15 till March 28.
The federal minister that the situation in Sindh and Balochistan is normal and schools in the two provinces would ensure fifty attendance for students. However, educational institutions in seven cities of Punjab will be closed from March 15.
The meeting decided that educational institutions in Lahore, Gujarat, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot and Multan will also be closed from 15-28th March.
Shafqat Mahmood said that the provincial government should monitor the situation in schools where examinations will be held.
He said many problems have been reported in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the provincial governments may close schools if conditions worsen. He said the decision regarding closure in Muzaffarabad will be taken by the Azad Jammu and Kashmir government.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he specified that the directive will only be applicable to schools in Peshawar where a high positivity rate has been recorded, and half of the students will keep attending classes in other districts.
The minister said that the decisions do not apply to examinations for O and A levels where students have to appear for the examination. He said that it had previously been decided that exams for Grade 9,10, 11 and 12 would be held during the period between May and June.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Dr Faisal Sultan said that it was decided to close the recreational park at 6PM and agreed on fifty percent attendance at offices in Islamabad.
Faisal Sultan said that the policy regarding the opening of wedding halls will be maintained. He emphasised on the use of face masks and smart lockdowns to control the spread of the disease.
He added the decision to lift restrictions on indoor weddings, dine-in restaurants and cinemas by March 15 has been withdrawn in light of the current situation. He said the policy will continue from March 15 to April 15 and will be reviewed again at the end of this period.
