PESHAWAR/CHARSADDA: Seven teachers of the Government Higher Secondary School No 1 in the Peshawar Cantonment have tested positive for Covid-19, according to a statement issued by the education department on Tuesday.

It said swabs had been collected from several teachers a week ago and results arrived on Tuesday, confirming presence of coronavirus in seven of them.

The statement said the teachers hadn’t come into contact with the students and there was no threat of transmission of virus in the school.

It said samples from the infected teachers would be collected again to see if they had recovered and fit to resume duties. All teachers would undergo Covid-19 testing in collaboration with the health department in phases to ensure that the students, teachers and staff members of the schools stayed free of virus.

The health department has already started random testing of students in the selected schools.

Meanwhile, the Government High School No 1 in Tangi area of Charsadda was closed for a week after two teachers and a Class-IV employee tested positive for Covid-19.

Charsadda deputy commissioner Adil Shah called an emergency meeting after the development, where district education officer Jehangir Khan confirmed that two teachers and a Class-IV employee of the school had tested positive for coronavirus.

After confirmation of the positive cases the deputy commissioner directed closure of the school for a week.

He said a meeting would be called before reopening of the school.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2020