Final decision about reopening of schools to be taken on Sep 7: Shafqat

ISLAMABAD (92 News) - Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood has said the final decision regarding the reopening of educational institutions will be taken with consensus on September 7. He said while talking to the meeting of National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) in Islamabad on Thursday. The NCOC emphasized that the educational institutions must ensure compliance to all Covid protocols and prepare accordingly before the final decision. The forum suggested a strategy about reopening of educational institutions. It said that the institutions be opened on top to bottom approach starting from the Universities to the High Schools on rotation basis. The NCOC proposed that timings of various institutions be staggered with suspending various activities which involve contraction and mass gatherings including co-curricular activities. The forum apprised the participants that tracking, tracing and testing will help arrest any spread. For this, enhance testing of symptomatic children, teachers and school staff will be very beneficial. The four provinces, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan apprised the NCOC about measures being taken including consultations with various educational institutions in their respective areas including teachers training and Covid awareness. Special Assistant on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan said the disease statistics will intimately be monitored on daily basis, particularly to assess the likely impact of tourism and Muhammad on the opening of educational institutions. Dr Faisal said an IT based monitoring mechanism be developed to ensure health guidelines and Covid containment measures. Representatives of various educational institutions gave their detailed input on school opening measures and assured the forum about compliance of health guidelines particularly wearing of face mask, social distancing and hand washing protocols.