LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Education Murad Raas on Friday announced that all public and private schools of the province will remain closed from September 6 to September due to the worsening COVID-19 situation.
“All Public and Private Schools of Punjab to be closed from September 6th to September 11th, 2021 due to COVID 19 conditions,” the minister wrote on Twitter. “Please stay home and stay safe. Protect yourself and your families,” Raas added.
ANNOUNCEMENT:
All Public & Private Schools of Punjab to be closed from September 6th to September 11th, 2021 due COVID 19 conditions. Please stay home and stay safe. Protect yourself and your families.— Murad Raas (@DrMuradPTI) September 3, 2021
The educational institutes in Punjab were opened in August following summer vacations after the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) okayed the resumption of in-person classes.
Earlier on Wednesday, the minister on Twitter said that any private school not implementing Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) will be closed immediately.
Strict instructions given to 36 District CEOs for the implementation of SNC & COVID. Any private school not implementing SNC 30 days after given notice will have their license cancelled. Any school not following COVID SOPs will be closed immediately. Zero exemptions. pic.twitter.com/KMcklJgLgT
— Murad Raas (@DrMuradPTI) September 1, 2021
COVID-19 situation in Punjab
Punjab, during the last 24-hour period, reported 1,368 Covid cases and 20 more deaths due to the virus. According to provincial health secretary Imran Sikandar Baloch, eight deaths were reported from Lahore during the period.
He said that active cases in Punjab now total 24,650, adding that the tally of the positive cases in the province stood at 397,695. Till date, at least 11,977 have succumbed to the virus in the province and around 361,068 patients have recovered.
The official informed that positivity ratio in the province is currently at 6.1 percent, adding specific SOPs have been issued for various sectors.