Wear a mask, protect each other from COVID-19, Punjab education minister tells teachers, students

• Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas sends best wishes to students and teachers on the first day of school after two-month break
• Raas urges everyone to keep their masks on at all times
• Students from grade 9 to 12 retuned to school across Pakistan today

Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas has a message for all the students and staff returning to school today across the province after a two month gap amid the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

He wants everyone to make sure they have a mask on "at all times".

The provincial education minister wrote and welcome message for students and teachers on Twitter Monday.

He asked everyone to keep their distance from each other. "By following SOPs, we are protecting each other from COVID-19. Be safe. My best wishes are with you," he wrote.

Students from grade 9 to 12 retuned to school across Pakistan today (Monday) after a break of two months because of the rising number of coronavirus cases and winter vacations.

Read more: Punjab govt issues notification regarding reopening of schools

The schools have opened with strict compliance of coronavirus standard operating procedures. Students of classes 8 and below will return to school from February 1.

Shafqat Mehmood wishes luck to students

The Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood took to Twitter late Sunday evening and sent his best wishes to students of classes 9 to 12, as well as O and A level students, who are starting school from today.

"Tomorrow classes 9 to 12, O and A level go back to school/ college. Wish them the very best," the minister wrote.

"Their future is our main priority," he said.

Pakistan decides to reopen schools

On Friday, January 16, the minister had held a high-level meeting at the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) to review the decision to reopen educational institutions amid the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

During the meeting, it was decided that classes will start for students of grades nine to 12 from January 18 as decided earlier.

Pakistan decides to reopen schools after two-month break amid coronavirus pandemic 

Read more: Schools to reopen for students of classes 9-12 from January 18, says Shafqat Mehmood

Unlike the previous year, the federal and provincial governments also decided that students will not be promoted without exams.

A one-week extension was granted to start the classes for students of grades 1-8. They were earlier supposed to start by January 25.

It was decided that primary schools will reopen from February 1, while higher education institutes will also reopen from February 1 as decided earlier.

The NCOC will re-evaluate data in a week and decide whether primary schools and higher education institutes will reopen on February 1 in cities where infections rates are high.

The minister also decided in the meeting that if the infection rate is high in a particular city, educational institutes may not reopen there.