Pakistan reopens schools for classes 6-8 after nearly six months due to coronavirus

Pakistan on Wednesday reopened schools for students in the sixth to 8th standards under the second phase of government’s decision to reopen educational institutions which remained shut for nearly six months due to the Covid-19 pandemic that infected over 3 lakh people in the country.

Both private and public schools opened for standard 6-8 under strict restrictions and clear orders to follow the standard operating procedures to control the spread of the highly contagious virus.

Students, teachers and school administration are required to ensure social distancing and wear face masks, as well as regularly use hand sanitisers, the Express Tribune reported.

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The decision to go ahead with fully opening all education institutions by the end of this month was endorsed on Tuesday by the National Command and Control Center, the body empowered to take key decisions on Covid-19 related issues.

While all the provinces have decided to follow the instruction, Sindh has delayed the decision to reopen schools for 6 to 8 graders until September 28 after reports of lack of preparations to implement the standard operating procedures.

According to the decision, all high schools, colleges and universities were reopened on September 15, while the primary schools would open their gates for students on September 30.

Pakistan reported 532 new cases of coronavirus in the country, taking the total number of infections to 307,418.

Sindh province has reported 134,437 cases, Punjab 98,602, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 37,418, Islamabad 16,246, Balochistan 14,607, Gilgit-Baltistan 3,542 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 2,566 cases.

At least 3,264,216 tests have been done so far in the country, including 33,744 in the last one day.