ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Monday said it will first look at the data of positivity rates of various educational institutions and then decide whether these institutions should be closed or otherwise.
The NCOC had called a meeting of the provincial health and education ministers on Monday to take decisions on coronavirus restrictions, including schools’ closure, amid a rapid increase in COVID-19 infections. In a brief statement after its meeting concluded on Monday, the NCOC said: “The decision about education institutions will be taken on data of positive cases of various institutions for which massive testing in education institutions is being carried out”.
The NCOC discussed the epidemic curve chart data, national vaccine strategy and disease prevalence across the country. The NCOC meeting was chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar and National Coordinator Maj General Muhammad Zafar Iqbal.
Besides, the meeting was virtually attended by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan. Provincial health and education ministers also joined the meeting virtually. They apprised the NCOC about the steps being taken for the implementation of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs), and COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in wake of a spike in coronavirus cases.
The meeting also discussed global and regional trends of the Omicron variant, the statement said. It said the participants of the meeting discussed a new set of NPIs keeping in view the disease prevalence, following which, it was decided that the NPIs will be enforced by the provinces in the next 48 hours after due consultative process with all stakeholders.
Meanwhile, seven deaths and 4,340 new cases of Coronavirus were reported in the country during the last twenty-four hours on Monday morning. The NCOC in a tweet on Monday said that 49,809 tests were conducted during the said period and positivity ratio remained at 8.71 percent. It said 781 patients are in critical condition.