Will close schools if COVID-19 cases increase, says Saeed Ghani
KARACHI: Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani has asserted that the provincial government might close schools if the coronavirus infections witness an increase.
Saeed Ghani expressed his views while addressing a press conference in Karachi today (Tuesday). The announcement came a day after all of the educational institutions in the province reopened.
“Parents who do not want to send their children to schools can refrain from it. Also, the school administration should ensure the implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs); the parents should play their part in it as well,” he added.
The education minister further said that 50 percent attendance was permitted in the schools in a bid to keep the virus at bay, adding that the government had conducted COVID-19 testing in schools and colleges.
“Until now, the positivity rate in colleges is 1.9 percent, while in schools it stands at 5.9 percent,” Ghani said, highlighting that four colleges had been shut after several COVID-19 cases were reported there.
Sharing further statistics, he said that the government had conducted 11,845 tests in the province’s schools’ and from them, 546 came positive. “As the minister, I want the education department to improve.”
