Sindh govt extends closure of educational institutions till May 30 amid coronavirus fears

The Sindh government on Thursday extended the school holidays till May 30 after Pakistan reported its 21st coronavirus case. 

 The decision was made during a special cabinet meting presided by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah. It was also decided that these holidays would be treated as summer vacations.

The educational institutions will reopen on June 1, while the exams of classes ninth and tenth have been postponed, Education Minister Saeed Ghani said.

Previously, the Sindh government had announced closure of schools, colleges and universities as well as coaching centres across the province till March 13.

The decision had been taken to ensure that the quarantine period of Pakistani pilgrims who had arrived from Iran and were suspected of having the coronavirus, would have ended.

On Thursday, Pakistan reported its 21st case of the pandemic when a resident of Gilgit Baltistan was also diagnosed with the coronavirus.

A government spokesperson said the patient — a 31-year-old resident of Shigar district — had a travel history of Iran. The patient was under treatment at the Skardu hospital, Firaq added.

On Wednesday, a 14-year-old from Skardu had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The first confirmed case in GB was of a 45-year-old woman, who arrived from Iran a few days to Gilgit before she was diagnosed.

Sindh is the worst hit province of all from where 15 coronavirus cases emerged. Fourteen of these cases emerged in Karachi which is the city where the disease has spread the most.