Sindh issues new guidelines for schools amid COVID-19 outbreak

KARACHI: The Sindh government on Thursday has issued new orders for the continuation of academic activities at schools in line with the revised guidelines of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) for the education sector.

The NCOC on Wednesday had issued its verdict on schools’ closure amid Pakistan’s battle against a fifth wave of the pandemic and struggles to contain the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

Today, the Sindh Education Department issued an official notification for the implementation of Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) in schools across the province.

“In pursuance of the decision of the NCOC meeting held on 19.01.2022, and with approval of the competent authority, keeping in view the current rapid spread of COVID-19 […] condition, the following decisions have been made for strict compliance throughout the province in all public, private and allied institutions of Sindh under the administration of this department,” the notification read.

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The schools are allowed to conduct classes for students below the age of 12 years with only 50% attendance on staggered days under stringent COVID-19 protocols. 100% attendance allowed for the students aged 12 and above with strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols. Students aged 12 and above must be vaccinated with at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

This condition will go under effect from February 1, 2022, after which no exceptions other than medical reasons will be accepted. Aggressive sentinel testing will be carried out for targetted closures in high disease prevalence educational institutes.