Punjab bars unvaccinated students from attending schools

Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas has said that unvaccinated students, who are eligible for Covid-19 vaccination, will not be allowed to attend schools as the country battled against the fifth coronavirus wave fuelled by Omicron variant.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Monday, the minister said National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) meeting had decided that educational institutions cannot be closed before imposing Covid-induced restrictions on other sectors.

He said the classes of students below the age of 12 years will be allowed with 50 per cent attendance as they had not been vaccinated.

The Punjab education minister opposed the closure of schools, saying that the education system had already suffered a lot due to the pandemic.

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However, he added that if the situation worsened then the authorities will take action accordingly.

Murad said the government had stepped up the Covid-19 vaccination campaign across the province and 100 per cent teachers have been vaccinated against coronavirus.

He added that vaccination of Matric and Intermediate students had also been completed and they will continue to attend schools while adhering to Covid-19 SOPs including mandatory face covering.

Earlier today, the NCOC postponed the decision regarding the closure of educational institutions in the country once again as Omicron cases continue to spike across Pakistan, especially in urban areas.

The meeting, attended by the federal and provincial education ministers, decided that the huddle will meet on Tuesday with fresh data to discuss the situation pertaining to educational institutions.

The meeting also discussed measures to contain the rising number of Covid-19 infections across the country.