COVID-19 SOPs: Saeed Ghani visits schools in Karachi, Thatta

KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Labour and Education Saeed Ghani on Monday visited Razzaqabad area of Karachi and later Thatta to oversee schools observing the safety precautions against the coronavirus pandemic.

The provincial minister visited the ARG Government Degree College and Government Girls and Boys Primary School in Razzaqabad. He observed the implementation of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) enforced agains the virus which has seen a resurgence in Karachi.

He also reviewed the educational process and said all teacher and staff members should enforce the SOPs and also ensure that all students also strictly observe them. He expressed concern over the lack of social distancing at the Government Girls and Boys Primary School. He urged the principal to hold various shifts if the number of students was high or ang hold classes on alternate days.

After the visit to Razzaqabad, the provincial minister visited Government Boys High School in Thatta. He expressed satisfaction over the provision of hand sanitizers, face masks and other SOPs. He said there was the lack of social distancing in the schools. He urged school to guide students every day for a few minutes on virus-related SOPs and ensures that staff are on duty at all times.

A total of 44,984 schools across the province had resumed classes in phases from 15th Septmeber while primary schools opened on 1st October..

A survey has found that most schools across Sindh were found flouting social distancing rules and not wearing face masks, according to a monitoring report on the implementation of SOPs at educational institutions.

Officials of the Evaluation and Monitoring Department visited 2,108 schools across Sindh and sealed 46 of them for violating the government-prescribed SOPs.

They found most of the schools disregarded social distancing and the use of face masks. Hand sanitizers which was made mandatory at educational institutions was also found missing at the schools.