(Karachi) The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) will decide in a meeting today whether to open or further close educational institutions in view of the third wave of Covid-19.

A statement issued by the NCOC stated that the NCOC special session will be held today to review the opening of the education sector. It added that Ramazan SOPs will also be reviewed in light of input from Ulema.

The session will be chaired by Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar. Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood and Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Pir Noorul Haq Qadri will also attend the meeting.

The government has imposed smart lockdown in different cities and coronavirus hotspot areas to curb the spread of the disease. NCOC head Asad Umar had warned that the third of COVID is more dangerous than the previous ones.

He said that the government’s increased restrictions and precautionary measures have slowed down the coronavirus positivity ratio.

He maintained that increased restrictions, broader lockdowns, and stronger SOP enforcement have started to have an effect.

The minister pointed that due to the momentum of cases reported in the last two weeks, the total number of deaths and patients in critical care will remain high for some time.