Covid-19: Minister says situation not too bad yet to close all educational institutes

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood on Wednesday said that the government was keenly observing the educational institutes and the situation of Covid-19 was not too dangerous as yet to close all the educational institutes in the country.

He stated this while talking after the inaugural ceremony of the newly-constructed Science Block at Allama Iqbal Open University.

The minister said that coronavirus cases were increasing in the country day by day, so everyone should have to follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) in letter and spirit.

The minister said the government was doing coronavirus tests of all the teachers and staffers of the institutes as well, adding the government did not want to close schools, colleges and other educational institutes, and no final decision was taken in that regard yet.

Mehmood said that the government could reduce winter vacations in the educational institutes this year.

He said it was proposed that some punishments and fines should be implemented for violators of the SOPs against the coronavirus in the country.

Mehmood said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had chaired the session of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) where the participants reviewed the Covid-19 testing capacity in educational institutes.

He clarified that educational institutes could not be closed in the current situation.

The minister said that the country fought the pandemic and produced exemplary results to curb Covid-19 as compared to the other nations.

He termed the establishment of a science lab a step towards setting a standard.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020