Schools to reopen on March 16, says education secretary

School Education and Literacy Department secretary Khalid Hyder Shah on Tuesday dismissed rumors that the provincial government was mulling plans to extend the school holidays across the province after nine more coronavirus cases were reported in the province.

In his video message, the secretary said that educational institutes across the province would reopen on March 16 and all academic activities would take place as per schedule.

Earlier in the day, it had been reported that the health department would send a recommendation to Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to keep the schools shut for a longer period.

Clarifying the education department’s position about the news, in which some TV channels had claimed that the Sindh government was considering a one-month extension of the closure of educational institutions, Secretary Shah said that after the emergence of new coronavirus cases in the province, the education department had received no suggestion from the health department to keep the educational institutes closed. This is why, the schools would be functioning on March 16 as per the schedule, he added.

On the other hand, the health department held a meeting on Tuesday morning under the chair of the health minister. Over the course of the meeting, the setting up of a health desk at the airport was recommended.

With the help of the desk, all those entering Karachi through the airport will be screened for coronavirus. A spokesperson for the health department said health desks would also be established at hospitals. The desks at the hospitals, which will named ‘front-line desks’, will provide up latest information about the spread of the virus in Karachi. A hospital in Gadap will treat those affected by the coronavirus, the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, Barrister Murtaza Wahab, adviser on law and environment, also denied a report circulating on social media that the educational institutions would remain closed for a month as a result of the spread of coronavirus.

Talking to Geo News, he said that there was no truth in the report that the educational institutions would be remain closed for a month.

He said that the chief minister was holding a meeting on coronavirus on a daily basis, and the health minister also informed the chief minister of the preventive measures being taken by the provincial government.

He said a patient had been discharged from a hospital, which was a positive sign for all of us. Earlier, On March 1, when fresh cases of coronavirus emerged, the Sindh government had decided to keep the public and private schools, colleges and universities closed till March 13.