Next task force meeting to decide on extending closure of educational institutes: Saeed Ghani

It has not been decided whether or not closure of the educational institutes in Sindh will be extended in the wake of the rise in coronavirus patients in the province. The issue will be taken up in the next task force meeting.

This was announced by Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani on Wednesday as he spoke to the media after attending a task force meeting at the Chief Minister House.

He said some stakeholders in the recent education department’s annual steering committee meeting had voiced their opinion against the idea of more holidays. Ghani explained that when the first coronavirus case emerged in Karachi, the education department closed all the educational institutes for two days and the holidays were further extended until March 13.

During those two days, the Sindh government examined around 500 persons, he said, adding that when Sindh, however, received the list of the people who had arrived from Taftan, it needed 14 days for their detailed medical investigation, due to which the holidays were extended.

Ghani said the Sindh government was properly handling the issue of coronavirus. He said all the infected had come from abroad and no such patient was found who had been infected in Sindh. He said during the recent annual steering committee meeting of the education department, a majority of the stakeholders were not in favour of extending the holidays. “I kept my stance before the task force and the doctors opined on the issue. However, in the next task force meeting, the final decision will be made.”

Meanwhile, Sindh Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah said people who had travelled from abroad in one month should not come to the stadium to watch the Pakistan Super League. This advisory has issued by the health department, he said.

Advisory for students

The health department on Wednesday also issued an advisory for the students and employees of educational institutes for protection against coronavirus.

The advisory reads that if any student has arrived in Pakistan from abroad in the last 15 days, they should not attend their educational institute till they complete 14 days stay at home. Same precautionary measure should be taken in case a family member of any student has arrived from abroad.

It further reads that any student, family or employee of all the public and private schools, colleges and universities of Sindh having cough, body ache, fever or shortness of breath shall not be allowed to enter the premises of the educational institute. The students and employees have also been urged to avoid gatherings and crowded spaces. There should be a minimum space of one metre between adjacent seating at all the institutes.