Pakistanis Vote for closing schools amid COVID-19 Pandemic

A major chunk of social media users in Pakistan took to Instagram and voted for closing schools amid the second wave of novel coronavirus pandemic.

Twitter users also expressed their concerns on the reopening of educational institutions from January 18^th, with hashtag #Shafqatmehmood also trending on top

Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood in his instagram story created poll and asked his followers about what decision should be made in upcoming meeting of Inter Provincial Education Ministers Conference (IPEMC) related to the reopening of educational institutions.

88 percent of people think that schools should be closed amid the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed more than 10,000 lives in the country since its outbreak.

Whereas 12 percent are of the view that educational institutions should be reopened.

According to the social media users, when schools were closed nearly 2500 cases were reporting and now over 3000 cases are reporting and Education Ministries decided to open schools and colleges.

They appealed to reconsider the decision and said that millions of lives are on stake.

Here is how Twitter reacted:

Foreign Ministry is closed due to #COVID19 but we are opening educational institutions. But a dumb nation we are.#Shafqatmehmood

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— Mariam Bashir Hansi (@MariamHansi) January 14, 2021

#Shafqatmehmood pic.twitter.com/N2qQzlb2tx

— QT (@Q_iRaT) January 14, 2021

#Shafqatmehmood Sir please dont open the schools. Fees time per de rhe hai 😂😂

— Zain Alvii (@zain_Alvii) January 14, 2021

another child, another student might become the target of this bed, this ventilator just because you said “we will follow strict SOPs”
Grow up! @Shafqat_Mahmood @DrMuradPTI #Shafqatmehmood #Shafqatmehmood pic.twitter.com/9D8sAcMuI1

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— M Hamza (@punisher7172) January 14, 2021

Vote for your right and life……. Dont open the schools #Shafqatmehmood #Dontopenschools pic.twitter.com/PtmqlWmIzL

— Moinuddin (@Moinudd10584247) January 14, 2021

Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood announced that schools and colleges will reopen in Pakistan from January 18.

While addressing a press conference, Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood announced that in the first phase, classes 9 to 12 would be allowed to resume from January 18.

In the second phase, the minister said, primary to class 8 will resume on January 25.

The minister said that universities and other higher education institutions will reopen from February 1 in the third and last phase.

The minister announced that board exams have been postponed till May and June as students did not have enough time to prepare for their exams.

Coronavirus in Pakistan

Pakistan has recorded more than 3000 cases and 46 deaths due to the novel coronavirus in a single day.

According to the national dashboard of COVID-19, 3,097 fresh cases of the coronavirus were reported across the country in a single day, taking the national tally of infections to 511,921.

A total of 41,574 samples were tested, out of which 3,097 turned out to be positive, according to the latest update released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).