Sindh to close schools if coronavirus cases increase: Saeed Ghani

• Announcement comes a day after all educational institutions in province reopened
• The parents who do not want to send their children to schools can refrain from it, says Saeed Ghani
• Until now, the positivity rate in colleges is 1.9%, while in schools it stands at 5.9%, says Ghani

KARACHI: Sindh might close schools if the coronavirus infections in the province witness an increase. The announcement came a day after all of the educational institutions in the province reopened.

Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani, addressing a press conference on Tuesday, said that on February 1, all educational institutions reopened, while some unprepared schools remained close.

"Parents who do not want to send their children to schools can refrain from it. Also, the administration can't ensure SOPs' implementation; the parents should play their part in it as well," the education minister said.

Read more: Shafqat Mehmood says academic year for schools to start from August

Moreover, the education minister said that 50% attendance was permitted in the schools in a bid to keep the virus at bay, adding that the government had conducted COVID-19 testing in schools and colleges.

Until now, the positivity rate in colleges is 1.9%, while in schools it stands at 5.9%, Ghani said. The education minister highlighted that four colleges had been shut after several COVID-19 cases were reported there.

Sharing further statistics, he said that the government had conducted 11,845 tests in the province's schools' and from them, 546 came positive. "As the minister, I want the education department to improve."

Read more: Shafqat Mehmood says universities not reopening should 'reconsider'

Speaking on the political front, Ghani said that Sindh Governor Imran Ismail was a member of PTI's parliamentary board, while the governor of any province should remain unbiased.

"According to the Constitution, the Senate elections are held through secret balloting. PTI does not trust its members anymore," the education minister said.