Saeed Ghani warns of school closure in Sindh if infections spike

Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani warned on Monday that the provincial government would shut down schools if the coronavirus infections were to surge.

The minister made the comments during a press conference on Tuesday, just a day after educational institutions across the country reopened following a three-month gap.

"Parents who do not want to send their children to schools can refrain from it. Also, the administration can't ensure SOPs' implementation; the parents should play their part in it as well," the education minister said.

Moreover, the education minister said that 50% 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%, while in schools it stands at 5.9%, Ghani said. The education minister highlighted that four colleges had been shut after several COVID-19 cases were reported there.

Ghani said that the province had done 11,845 tests in schools' and from them, 546 came positive. "As the minister, I want the education department to improve."