KARACHI: The provincial government on Sunday decided to close physical classes of grade one to eight across Sindh province from 6th of April for 15 days due to rising cases of Covid-19, however, it added that the classes will be held online with homework, says a notification.

Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani also confirmed through a Tweet Sunday that the provincial education ministry had decided to close physical classes upto eight grade in all public and private schools for 15 days from April 6. The minister said that schools would continue delivering online classes through homework.

"Fortunately, no death stemming from coronavirus was reported on Sunday, however, 240 new cases emerged when 8,797 tests were conducted," said Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in a statement issued here from CM House.

The announcement comes hours after Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood tweeted that education and health ministers would meet at the NCOC on Tuesday and will decide whether to open or further close educational institutions, adding whatever is decided would be a collective decision of the country’s health and education authorities & NCOC.

The Sindh task force on coronavirus on Friday suggested that the provincial government should close schools for 15 days in view of rising Covid-19 cases.

The suggestion came at a meeting of the provincial task force on coronavirus, which was chaired by Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah here at the CM House. Shah directed Sindh Minister for Education Saeed Ghani to discuss the matter with all the stakeholders and take the decision.

During Friday's meeting, the Sindh government was told that from March 26 to April 1, 2021, a Covid-19 contraction positivity ratio of 4.63 percent was recorded in Karachi, 5 percent in Hyderabad and 1.5 percent in other areas of Sindh. A World Health Organisation representative informed participants that the UK strain of the coronavirus is growing at an alarming rate.