Sindh schools with '100pc vaccinated staff' will be allowed to reopen

KARACHI: Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah announced on Monday that schools that had vaccinated 100 percent of their staff against Covid-19 would be allowed to open from August 30 (Monday).

Addressing a press conference here after meeting with the representatives of private schools' associations, the minister said 80 percent of staff at the private institutions have been vaccinated so far.

He said children would only be allowed to go back to school if their parents are vaccinated, adding that the parents would have to submit their vaccination certificates from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). A child coming from one affected household could be a carrier, he said, adding that children were also contracting the Covid-19.

"Education is a big department, and employs a large number of people," he said, adding that it was imperative to increase the rate of vaccination so that lockdowns could be avoided.

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He said schools will reopen with 50pc attendance and for six-days-a-week. "Random PCR testing will also be carried out at the schools," he said. Several households suffer when there is a positive case at a school, he said.

Shah said that the private schools' associations had demanded that their vaccinated staff be allowed to visit their schools in and plan lessons for the next week. "So, we have allowed that teaching and non-teaching staff who are vaccinated can be called in from tomorrow to prepare lessons for the next week," he said.

He said the decision to extend the closure of schools in the province by a week was taken in light of the advice given by the health department.

The media has incorrectly portrayed that the chief minister took the decision without consultation, he said, adding that the decision was taken as an effort to increase the vaccination rate.

Had we opened schools on August 23, the vaccination rate would have slowed, he said. The thought process behind the decision was to increase vaccination among parents and staff so that schools can be finally opened.

Last week, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had said that schools, colleges and universities would remain closed for another week to enable the teaching and non-teaching staff to get themselves.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021