Schools ordered to complete Covid vaccination of students

KARACHI: The administrations of private schools in Sindh have been directed to ensure mandatory Covid vaccination of all students aged between 12 and 18, ARY News reported on Sunday.

ARY News obtained a circular issued Sindh School Education Department’s Directorate of Private Institutions to the school administrations.

It read that Covid vaccination of students aged between 12 and 18 and staff (teaching or non-teaching) is obligatory following the decision of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

READ: 268 CASES DETECTED AS CM SINDH CONFIRMS LOCAL TRANSMISSION OF OMICRON

The private educational institutions have been directed to ensure 100 per cent Covid vaccination of the students and staff. The school administrations were also directed to collect copies of Covid vaccination cards from staff members.

It has been warned that action will be initiated against the school administration as per “The Sindh Private Educational Institutions (Regulation & Control) Ordinance-2001, Act-2003 and Rules 2005” if any student or staff member is found unvaccinated during the course of the inspection.

The Sindh government expedited efforts to contain the spread of Covid variant Omicron during the pandemic’s fifth wave in the country as its capital hit worst as compared to the other provinces.

In an alarming trend, the COVID positivity ratio in Karachi has gone beyond 15 per cent with the ratio of Omicron cases reaching 87 per cent of the total cases reported from Karachi.

Atotal of 5,168 tests were performed in the last 24 hours in the metropolis, resulting in 780 cases, bringing the positivity ratio beyond 15 per cent.

READ: OMICRON: HAS GOVT ANNOUNCED RESTRICTIONS FOR SINDH?

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Health Minister Azra Pechuho had pointed out an upsurge in coronavirus infections, especially the hike in Omicron cases in the province.

On January 8, CM Murad Ali Shah had confirmed that Omicron cases rose to 307 in Sindh. 81 per cent of the samples tested over the past two days turned out to be positive for the new variant.

He had advised citizens to take precautionary measures and adhere to SOPs to keep the virus at bay.