Hazara varsity exams postponed over corona

PESHAWAR: The Hazara University has delayed its terminal examinations for a week after the district administration sealed it as its vice-chancellor, staff members and students tested positive for the coronavirus.

“The district administration has sealed the university for 10 days as the vice-chancellor, 14 staff members and many students tested positive for Covid-19,” the university’s spokesman Mohammad Shahid told reporters on Sunday.

He said Vice-Chancellor Dr Jamil Ahmad, Covid-infected staff members and students had been quarantined at respective destinations on the instruction of the Health Department.

The Hazara University students and staff members’ screenings process, which had started last week, came to an end as the Communication and Media Studies Department was sealed after its faculty members and students tested positive.

According to a notification issued by the district administration, the varsity was shut from February 6 to 15. The assistant commissioner also ordered the deployment of revenue staff and the Corona tiger force for necessary action. The notification ordered the tehsil municipal administration Baffa-Pakhal to carry out chlorination of the university buildings to contain the further spread of the virus.

A press release issued by Dr Azhar Hussain Shah, the controller of examinations, stated that terminal examinations were postponed for eight days after the closure of the varsity.

“The examinations, which were scheduled to be initiated from February 7, have been postponed and would now start from February 15 and all venues, as well as timings of papers, would remain the same,” the notification said.