LAHORE: All public and private schools in Okara, Jhang, Khanewal, and Bhakkar have been closed with immediate effect due to a rise in COVID-19 cases.
The announcement came on Twitter from Murad Raas, the Education Minister for Punjab.
The closure of schools in these districts came after a similar move closed down schools in 13 other districts in Punjab.
Earlier the 13 districts where classes had been suspended were: Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Sheikupura, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Multan, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, and Dera Ghazi Khan. The decision was taken in light of the higher positivity rate and number of cases in these districts.
The Punjab education minister had announced earlier this month that students of 1-8 grades will continue online classes until Eid. Exams for O and A Level students will continue as scheduled, he added.
Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood, in a press briefing after the meeting, announced that educational institutions will resume studies for grades 9-12 from April 19 and exams will be held in May.
The decision to resume in-person classes for nursery to 8th-grade students will be reviewed on 28 April. The meeting will decide whether in-person classes will remain suspended till Eid.
