Private schools, colleges demand to reopen institutions with fully vaccinated staff

KARACHI: The chairman of All Sindh Private Schools and Colleges Association Haider Ali demanded the Sindh government to allow reopening institutions with fully vaccinated staff from August 23, ARY News reported on Friday.

The association’s chairman criticised the decision of the Sindh government for extending the closure of educational institutions following the spike in COVID-19 cases.

He said that educational institutions should be permitted to resume regular classes with 50 per cent attendance and standard operating procedures (SOPs). Ali said that 600,000 children have already left studying at the government schools, whereas, almost 700,000 students had left private schools.

READ: COVID CASE SURGE MAY STALL SINDH SCHOOLS REOPENING FROM AUG 23

He detailed that the vaccination process at government schools has completed up to 95 per cent and 80 per cent at private schools.

Haider Ali demanded to reopen the institutions from August 23 where 100 per cent of staff members were vaccinated.

Earlier today, the Sindh health department sounded the alarm of Covid case reemergence raising reservations on the reopening of schools starting August 23.

READ: SCHOOLS TO OPEN ON AUG 30, CM SINDH DEFERS DECISION BY A WEEK

Covid cases seem to have spiked in the recent days owing to violation of SOPs as people have not adhered to the face masks and social distancing, the health department said.

There is a looming threat of a further spike in cases as recent days have seen flagrant violations of SOPs set to curb Covid spread, the department said.

After heeding the Sindh health department’s advisory on the recent rise in Covid cases, Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah has further deferred the reopening of schools by one week to now open on August 30.

Get vaccinated in the week-long period, CM Sindh advised the teachers and parents.