Govt to decide on early, extended winter holidays today

Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood will chair on Monday the Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference to decide about the early winter holidays for the students as the second coronavirus wave hits the country.

The meeting will have all provincial education ministers on board. The conference will review the increasing positivity ratio in educational institutions.The recommendations decided in the meeting would be shared with the provinces for decision-making and enforcement.

Last week, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) had recommended early and extended winter vacations for students to reduce the impact of the novel virus. Several departments of universities in the federal capital have been sealed after cases were reported.

According to NCOC, as many as 2,128 people contracted coronavirus in the last 24 hours, while the country also lost 19 people to COVID-19.