Schools to reopen in 16 districts of Punjab

According to the notification, all public and private schools/institutions in the districts with below 5 percent COVID positivity rate will be opened with 50 percent attendance.

The schools will operate only four days a week with each a student having to appear two days a week to ensure 50 percent attendance protocol.

The notification also demanded to ensure all the COVID19 SOPs in the schools.

"All the concerned authorities shall ensure the observance and compliance of COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) in letter and spirit. The schools shall open for 04 days a week staggering 02 days attendance of each child," the notification read.

As per the notification, schools will be opened in the following 16 districts:

Bahawalnagar, Jhang, Nankana Sahib, Sahiwal, Chakwal, Jhelum, Narowal, Sheikhupura, Chiniot, Kasur, Pakpattan, Sialkot, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahuddin, Rajanpur, and Vehari.

Earlier, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) held a meeting on May 18 in which the decision of reopening of educational institutions in the cities with below 5 percent COVID positivity ratio was made.

It is to be noted  that Pakistan is currently facing a third wave of coronavirus with around 3,070 cases of coronavirus were reported while 102 people succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 20,089, the total number of confirmed cases reached 893,461, according to NCOC.