PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Wednesday extended the closure of educational intuitions in 10 districts until April 11 over high coronavirus incidence.

With Peshawar district recording 18.6 per cent coronavirus positivity rate, the highest in the country, the province lost eight residents to the infection in the day.

According to a report of the World Health Organisation, the virus positively rate reached 15 per cent in Swat district and over five per cent in eleven other districts of the province, including Peshawar, Madran, Charsadda, Swabi, Kohat, Malakand, Swat, Lower Dir, Nowshera and Buner.

A health department report said the province recorded eight Covid-related deaths and 583 cases in the day. Four deaths were reported in Peshawar and two each in Mardan and Kohat.

Virus positivity rate reaches 18.6pc in Peshawar

Regarding the extension in closure of educational institutions, both elementary and secondary education department and higher education departments issued separate notifications.

The educational institutions in nine districts the province were already closed from March 15 to March 28. Buner is the new addition to the list due to high Covid-19 positivity rate.

Following the school closure announcement by the government, the private schools also delayed the annual examinations, which were scheduled to begin on March 29.

“Dear students, the annual examinations for 2021 have been delayed due to the government orders for closure of educational institutions till 11th April. Annual exams for class nursery to eight will now start from 12th April,” read a message sent to parents by the administration of a private school.

The elementary and secondary education department has yet to finalise schedule for examinations from nursery to class eight in government schools.

A district education officer told Dawn that high-ups in the education department had informally conveyed to all district education officers and school administrations to extend the current academic year to May, which usually ended on March 31.

He said since school closures had been extended until April 11, the examination schedule might be discussed in the meeting of all district education officers with the secretary of the education department.

The officials said minor students remained symptomless even after testing positive for Covid-19 and could transmit the virus at home and among communities and therefore, the closing of educational institutions was the right step at the right time.

Meanwhile, the district administration imposed smart lockdown in 18 localities of Peshawar from 6pm on Thursday.

Officials said the administration was going for lockdowns in areas, which were reporting two or more coronavirus cases a day to prevent the transmission of the virus.

They said previously, the administration had to close a street on the detection of cases but under the current circumstances, smart lockdown was imposed in any locality on recording Covid-19 positive cases.

The health officials said chief secretary Dr Kazim Niaz had been leading the campaign to ensure that the people adhere to standard operating procedures in public as it was the only way to stay safe from the infection, which had so far claimed 2,271 lives and infected 81,204 people in the province.

They said the chief secretary attends NCOC’s meeting every second day and passed on its instructions to the districts administration for action.

According to them, more emphasis was being laid on following the precautionary measures, like June and July last year, when the province’s observed complete lockdowns. The situation might become worse if the people continue to violate SoPs, they said.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2021