DHO urges maintaining 50 pc attendance in schools, classes on weekly holiday

ISLAMABAD: The District Health Officer (DHO) Islamabad has urged the higher authorities for taking emergency steps for curbing coronavirus cases primarily being reported from educational institutions and offices, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The DHO Islamabad has written a letter to the deputy commissioner and raised alarm over the consistent rise in coronavirus cases in the federal capital. He stated that the infections were significantly increased after reopening educational institutions in February.

He highlighted that the positivity rate of COVID-19 cases in Islamabad has risen to over six per cent and most of the infections were reported from educational institutions and offices. It a serious issue to implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) among children in schools, whereas it is impossible to follow the guidelines alongside full attendance.

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The health officer said that emergency steps are inevitable for curbing the spread of novel coronavirus and recommended to maintain 50 per cent attendance in schools and social distancing in the current scenario.

Dr Zaeem Zia has recommended conducting four-hour classes in two shifts for the students of federal government schools. He also suggested classes on weekly holiday.

Earlier in February, Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood had announced that all schools will be allowed to conduct regular five-day classes from March 1.

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The announcement had been followed on the heels of the National Command and Operation Centre’s (NCOC) decision to relax a number of restrictions on commercial activities and official work in view of the declining trend of Covid-19 cases in the country.

However, the Sindh government had rejected to allow 100 per cent student attendance in schools across the province until the elimination of the coronavirus pandemic.

Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani had announced that educational institutions in Sindh will maintain 50 pc attendance.