NCOC shuts educational institutes in higher positivity areas until June 06

ISLAMABAD: National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has issued fresh directives regarding the reopening of educational institutes in areas witnessing over five percent positivity ratio, ARY NEWS reported.

According to a handout issued to the federal and provincial governments, the NCOC directed them to avoid reopening of educational institutes in higher positivity areas on May 24.

“The concerned authorities should be issued directives in this regard by the provinces,” it said while clarifying that schools, colleges, and universities will only be opened in areas reporting a positivity ratio of less than five percent as decided during an NCOC meeting on 19 and 21 May.

The educational institutes in higher positivity areas will remain shut until June 06 and a meeting to review the decision and reopening of schools and colleges will be held on June 03, the letter conveyed to the governments read.

52 districts report higher COVID positivity

Overall 52 districts including federal and provincial capitals of the country have been reporting over five percent of the COVID positivity ratio, a report

read.

Punjab province is in the lead with 20 districts reporting over five percent positivity ratio, followed by 14 districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 12 in Sindh, four in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and one in Balochistan.

The federal capital Islamabad has also reported a positivity ratio of over five percent, a benchmark set by the NCOC to be reviewed before lifting COVID-related restrictions.

All districts of Karachi, the business hub of the country, have witnessed over five percent positivity ratio, followed by Hyderabad, Badin, Dadu, Jamshoro, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur and other districts.

In Punjab, Lahore, DG Khan, Faisalabad, Gujrat, Multan, Lodhran, Rahim Yar Khan, Okara, Sargodha, and other districts have reported higher COVID positivity ratio.

Peshawar, Abbottabad, Buner, Charsadda, Dir, Mardan, Nowshera, Swat are among the key districts of the KP province that have reported a higher ratio of COVID-19 cases.