Saeed Ghani says govt may have to opt for another lockdown if COVID-19 cases continue to rise

• Sindh education minister says only a handful of cities have seen a rise in the coronavirus positivity ratio.
• Saeed Ghani says Sindh has not announced vacations in other provinces as there is no spring break in the province.
• Minister says Sindh govt is trying to ensure that students' education is not affected and exams are held on time.

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KARACHI: Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani warned the public on Thursday that the the provincial government may have to opt for another lockdown if there is a continued increase in coronavirus cases.

But the minister stated that for now, only a handful of cities were seeing an increase in the coronavirus positivity ratio.

“We may go towards a lockdown if the situation worsens,” Ghani said while appearing on Geo Pakistan.

During the interview, the minister addressed questions regarding the closure of schools. He said  vacations have been called for educational institutes in Peshawar and some cities of Punjab on account of a spring break.

He said Sindh did not opt to announce a spring break as there no such concept in the province.

The minister also spoke to the show hosts about Wednesday’s National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) meeting.

Ghani said that the provinces had opposed the idea of reopening schools to full capacity. He added that the provincial governments were trying to ensure that students' education is not affected and exams are held on time.

The meeting that the minister was referring to had decided that schools will be closed in several cities from Monday, March 15 following a spike in coronavirus cases.

It was also decided that the ban on indoor activities will be extended and 50% work-from-home policy will be reinforced.