Six Malir schools closed as principals test positive for coronavirus

The Sindh School Education & Literacy Department on Wednesday announced the closure of six public schools situated in the Malir district due to the spread of Covid-19.

The schools ordered to close have been identified as Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Konkar; Government Boys Secondary School, Model Haqqani Campus; Government Girls Secondary School, Haji Saeen Rakhio Campus; Government Girls Lower Secondary School, Konkar; Government Boys Secondary School, Jan Muhammad Ahmedani and Government Boys Secondary School, Radho Jokhio.

The notification issued by the Malir district education officer stated that the principals of these schools have been found to be infected with the novel coronavirus, as their samples taken for Covid-19 tests have returned positive.

According to the announcement, they have been directed to take necessary measures in accordance with the guidelines for educational institutions that were issued in connection with the Covid-19 pandemic by the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations & Coordination, as the schools will remain closed for the time being.

“The classrooms, staff rooms and other facilities used by the infected persons are to be closed for a minimum of five days, with suggested procedures of disinfection to be carried out on the premises,” reads the notification.

The announcement also states that all the students and staff members who were part of the affected classes and had come into contact with the identified infected persons should isolate themselves at home for five days.

The affected schools that have been ordered to close are likely to be reopened on November 1, but only after their respective administrations ensure compliance with all the standard operating procedures relevant to the safe resumption of academic activities.

Corona cases

Seven more people have died due to Covid-19 and another 316 cases have been reported during the past 24 hours in Sindh, with the death toll due to the viral disease reaching 2,611 in the province.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said in his daily situation report on the health emergency on Wednesday that 9,150 samples were tested in the past 24 hours, resulting in 316 people, or four per cent of those who were screened, being diagnosed with Covid-19. The provincial government has so far conducted 1,616,946 tests, which have resulted in 144,765 positive cases, which means that nine per cent of those screened have been found to be infected, he added.

Shah said that after the latest deaths, the rate of the diagnosed people who have lost their fight with COVID-19 stands at two per cent.

He said that 4,498 patients are currently under treatment: 4,214 in self-isolation at home, four at isolation centres and 280 at hospitals, while 165 patients are in critical condition, of whom 28 are on life support.

He added that 615 more people have recovered during the past 24 hours, increasing the number of cured patients to 137,656, which shows a 95 per cent recovery rate. The CM said that out of the 316 fresh cases of Sindh, 231 (or 73 per cent) have been reported in Karachi: 76 new patients from District Central, 57 from District South, 43 from District East, 20 each from the West and Korangi districts, and 15 from District Malir.

Hyderabad has reported 13 new cases, Jamshoro five, Sujawal four, Jacobabad, Larkana and Sukkur three each, Ghotki, Kambar and Mirpurkhas two each, and Badin, Dadu, Kashmore, Khairpur, Matiari, Naushehroferoze, Shikarpur, Thatta and Umerkot one each, he added.