Amid rise in Covid-19 cases, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has called a meeting of all provincial education ministers on January 17 to discuss the existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in the education sector.

The announcement was made at an NCOC meeting on Saturday.

Pakistan has been witnessing a fifth wave of the coronavirus with the spread of the new Omicron variant.

Pakistan reported another 4,286 coronavirus cases on January 14, the highest since August 25 when it recorded 4,553 infections, while the country's positivity ratio was recorded at 8.16% during the last 24 hours, also the highest since August 11.

The forum also imposed a complete ban on the inflight serving of meals from January 17, 2022.

"The Civil Aviation Authority has been instructed to ensure all passengers and crew wear masks during flight," a statement issued by the NCOC said.

Sindh decides against closing educational institutions

“Implement COVID SOPs at all airports,” it added.

Moreover, the serving of meals and snacks in public transport across the country has also been banned.

The NCOC has directed the federating units to take strict measures against violators of existing SOPs and ensure enforcement of obligatory vaccination regimes.

Provinces have been asked to carry out immediate surveys of health care facilities, including oxygenated beds, oxygen stocks, and other reserves.

5th wave intensifies: Pakistan's Covid-19 positivity shoots to 8.16%

Earlier in the day, the Sindh government ruled out closing educational institutions, a decision that comes amid the ongoing fifth wave of coronavirus in the country.

The decision comes as Karachi's positivity ratio reached 35.30%. The Sindh health department said 430 infections of the Omicron variant have been detected in Karachi.