PESHAWAR: The Provincial Task Force on Covid-19 on Friday decided about the re-opening of all public and private schools and colleges from April 19 for in-person classes from grade 9 to 12 in view of the board examinations slated for next month.

However, the educational institutions will strictly follow the standard operating procedures issued by the government for the control and prevention of coronavirus.

The task force met here with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair.

The participants expressed serious concern about the increasing Covid-19 incidence in the province and called for strict implementation of SOPs and other precautionary measures against the virus.

The province recorded 36 deaths by the virus in the day increasing the overall death tally to 2,832.

Covid task force says markets to close by 6pm, dining in restaurants to be banned

According to a government report, 18 people died of coronavirus in Peshawar, six in Swat and Mardan each, two in Lower and Upper Dir each, and one in Bajaur and Swabi each.

A total of 1,061 people were diagnosed with the virus and 919 recovered from it.

The task force reviewed the latest coronavirus-related situation in the province with a focus on the administrative measures against the spread of the virus.

It decided that all markets in the province would close by 6pm except pharmacies, general stores, milk shops, tandoor and filling stations.

The participants also decided that dining in restaurants would be completely banned and only takeaway would be allowed.

They said there would be two safe days in a week i.e. Saturday and Sunday and all markets would remain closed on those days except essential service providers.

The meeting was also attended by provincial ministers Shahram Tarakai and Akbar Ayub, Corps Commander of Peshawar Lt-General Nauman Mahmood, chief secretary Dr Kazim Niaz, provincial police chief Dr Sanaullah Abbasi and other high-ups.

It decided about the working of public offices with the attendance of less than 50 per cent of staff and a complete ban on visitors.

The meeting decided about the strict implementation of SOPs during Taraweeh and funeral prayers and urged clerics to play their effective role about it.

It was also decided that face masks would be distributed at all public places, including main markets, utility stores and Ehsas cash points, while their use by people would be ensured.

The forum also discussed the imposition of ban on visits to tourist spots in the province until Eidul Fitr and decided that the matter would be taken up with the federal government for unanimous decision.

While briefing the forum about the latest coronavirus-related situation, officials said the the number of cases had increased exponentially during the last month and that the positivity ratio continued to rise in the province along with the number of deaths.

They said at present, the average positivity rate was 14 per cent in the province.

The forum called for the strict implementation of SOPs in all districts.

Regarding coronavirus vaccination and capacity of healthcare facilities in the province, the officials said the province had utilised 72 percent of its allocated vaccines and as per the NCOC report, the province had the highest vaccine utilisation rate.

They said 142,000 individuals had so far received first dose of the vaccine, while 39,137 persons had been fully vaccinated.

The forum was informed that health department had introduced district wise targets for vaccine administration to enhance vaccine uptake and mechanism had been devised to monitor coronavirus vaccination centres to evaluate service quality.

The officials said five mass vaccination centres had been established to improve access to Covid vaccine.

They said over the last few weeks, 284 new high dependency units beds, 19 ICU beds and 273 low-flow beds had been added to major hospitals of the province.

Meanwhile, the provincial elementary and secondary education department issued a notification announcing the reopening of schools and colleges for secondary and intermediate classes in staggered manner from Apr 19.

The notification said the institutions should be opened in a manner that in each class half of the students would attend classes for three days a week and remaining half for other three days of the week under strict compliance of SOPs already notified for the purpose.

It also said the remaining classes from grade Pre-1 to grade 8 would remain closed until Apr 27.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2021