Islamabad authorities seal university after coronavirus cases emerge

Islamabad authorities sealed the International Islamic University (IIUI) after 12 COVID-19 cases emerged on campus, the district health office said Friday.

The development comes  days after the government announced that the second wave of the contagion has begun in the country.

According to media reports, this is the second time that the varsity has been sealed after it had been shut last month for disinfection following detection of coronavirus cases.

"It is hereby advised to immediately close down the university premises for a period till further intimation by the office of the undersigned and conduct thorough disinfection activities," a notification from the Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination read.

The ministry, in the notification, advised that the patients residing in the hostel be isolated till recovery and their contacts also quarantined in a separate isolation area.

It stressed that COVID-19 testing of all the exposed staff and students must be carried out, while adherence to coronavirus safety protocols must be strictly ensured.

"All the close contacts of the cases must be quarantined for a period of 14 days," the ministry underscored.

Other campuses/depts sealed

Meanwhile, the Islamabad administration said that a model school for women in the capital's G11/1 was also sealed after two coronavirus cases were detected there.

Similarly, responding to a tweet, the District Health Office, Islamabad, said that the mechanical and computer science departments of the National University of Technology have also been sealed.