Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has warned against immediate closure of educational institutes if coronavirus standard operating procedures are not followed strictly.

The warning from the minister came just a day after reopening of educational institutes in the province.

While talking to media, she stated that Lahore has the highest rate of the coronavirus as compared to other cities of Punjab.

Classes for students of grades nine to 12 started across the country on Monday after a hiatus of nearly two months.

The decision was taken during a high-level meeting at the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) on January 16.

Unlike the previous year, the federal and provincial governments also decided that students will not be promoted without exams.

A one-week extension was granted to start the classes for students of grades 1-8. They were earlier supposed to start by January 25.