RAWALPINDI: Schools in Islamabad and Rawalpindi will resume classes for sixth, seventh and eighth grade today (Wednesday) in the second phase of the government’s reopening of educational institutions.

Meanwhile, the district administration on Tuesday detected two new cases of Covid-19 in its random sampling of educational institutions that opened on Sept 15.

Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood said the administrations of all four districts in the Rawalpindi division have made arrangements to o pen schools after approval from the government.

Arrangements have been made for students to maintain a social distance, wear masks and sanitise or wash their hands regularly.

The standard operating procedure (SOP) issued by the government in this regard has been maintained, he said.

Two new cases of Covid-19 detected in random sampling of educational institutions

He added that the provincial government has given the education authority and colleges directorate all the available resources to enforce the SOP and a mechanism has been devised to monitor implementation.

Deputy commissioners have been asked to form tehsil-level teams to monitor the implementation of SOP to limit the spread of Covid-19 in educational institutions, Mr Mehmood said.

District education officials have also been asked to check all the private and government schools in the district, while the overall situation will be monitored by assistant commissioners’ teams.

The government has provided gadgets to schools to check the temperature of students, teachers and staff. In addition, school principals have been asked to divide students who will be called in on alternate days in order to maintain a social distance.

Parents have been told not to send children with fever to school as a precaution. Masks are also compulsory, and students who are seen not wearing one will be provided a mask by the school administration, he said.

Two interns who are part of the Fatima Jinnah Women University’s (FJWU) teaching staff tested positive for Covid-19 in random sampling at colleges, universities and schools that opened on Sept 15.

Mr Mehmood said that 2,331 tests have been carried out in 39 educational institutions across the district. Of these, two people have tested positive so far, while 1,872 have tested negative and the results of 457 are awaited.

There were 1,871 tests carried out in government institutions and 471 in private ones, he said. Of the tests in government institutions, two were positive, 1,429 were negative and the results of 440 have not been received yet. In private schools, 433 people tested negative and the results of 27 have not yet been received.

Mr Mehmood said that 665 tests were carried out at the primary level - 300 in private institutions and 365 in government-run institutions as well as 62 in seminaries - which were all negative.

He added that the two FJWU staffers who tested positive for Covid-19 have been isolated and are stable.

No instructions have been issued to close down educational institutions if fewer than five people are positive for the disease, but the university has been asked to take precautions and carry out a lockdown within their premises.

FJWU officials said that the two patients are not members of faculty but interns, and the university has been in close contact with the administration and health department.

A university spokesperson told Dawn that the university has started offering online classes to new students, while calling in a limited number of students to the university and encouraging online classes.

Islamabad

As in other parts of the country - not including Sindh - Islamabad will resume classes for students in the sixth to eight grades on Wednesday.

In the first phase of school reopening, institutions resumed classes for students in grade nine up to university level on Sept 15. If the situation remains satisfactory after sixth to eighth graders return to school, primary schools will open on Sept 30.

Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) officials said that 171 schools reopened in the first phase, and 60 more will open on Wednesday. All private institutions other than primary schools will also reopen, they said.

Sources in the FDE and the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority said that all schools have been directed to ensure that SOP and health guidelines to limit the spread of Covis-19 are implemented.

The testing of private and public school staff and students also continued on Tuesday, with two more people testing positive at private schools.

Sources said that more than 5,800 tests have been carried out in private institutions and more than 6,200 in public ones. Of these, 22 people have tested positive.

— Additional reporting by Kashif Abbasi

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2020