Matric, inter exams to be held from June 23: NCOC

Travellers from UAE will be required to submit PCR test reports of authorised laboratories only, says anti-Covid body

ISLAMABAD:

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has decided that exams for grades 10 and 12 will be conducted from June 23 to July 29 in the country while the provinces can decide to resume physical classes for matric and intermediate students with strict implementation of Covid-19 SOPs.

The decision was taken in a NCOC meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar and National Coordinator Lt Gen Hamooduz Zaman on Saturday.

NCOC supervises the government’s unified strategy to stem the spread of the global pandemic.

The forum expressed satisfaction over the coronavirus situation in the country but cautioned about the rise in infections in Sindh.

The country’s Covid-19 nerve centre also decided that travellers from UAE will be required to submit negative PCR tests reports from authorised laboratories only.

The airlines will be fined in case of any violation or accepting test reports from unauthorised labs, it further decides.

The decision has been taken to ensure that no Covid-19 positive passenger could enter the country by submitting fake results, the NCOC said.

Also read: Board exams to begin after June 20

The provinces can decide resuming on-campus classes for 10th and 12th grades under coronavirus SOPs from May 31 to prepare the students for the exams.

From May 30, the NCOC has decided to allow amusement parks, water parks and swimming pools to reopen in districts with five per cent or less Covid-19 positivity rate.

Last week, the NCOC issued a set of guidelines for the visitors and planners of the tours to the tourist spots, which will be opened from Monday under strict coronavirus SOPs.

On May 19, the NCOC dropped several restrictions it had imposed during the Eidul Fitr holidays earlier this month.

Besides, opening the tourism, the NCOC also allowed a staggered re-opening of education sector – all public and private education institutions – in districts where coronavirus positivity ratio is less than 5%.

However, considering the prevailing disease situation across various districts, education sector in districts with high positivity ratio will remain closed till June 6, the NCOC had said in a statement.