The Punjab government has extended the closure of all educational institutions till September 15 due to the spread of the novel coronavirus.

This was announced by Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas on Friday. "Stay home and stay safe," the minister tweeted.

Last week, Punjab had announced to close educational institutes from September 6 till September 11. However, this latest announcement comes following the directives of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

Schools in Punjab to remain closed for six days amid rise in Covid cases

On Thursday, the NCOC decided to extend its coronavirus restrictions in 24 districts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad Capital Territory for another week. Under the restrictions, outdoor and indoor gatherings and inter-city public transport will be banned.

Indoor gyms and educational institutions will also remain closed. The decision was taken after the NCOC took a detailed stock of the current disease situation in different districts, daily hospital admissions, pressure on critical care and availability of oxygen.

In a notification, the NCOC has said that it is closely monitoring the coronavirus situation and necessary decisions will be taken whenever deemed appropriate to control the spread of Covid-19.

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Meanwhile, Punjab reported 1,705 cases and 36 deaths from coronavirus over the past 24 hours. The provincial tally has risen to 410,463 and the death toll has reached 12,171.

Moreover, Islamabad reported 254 cases and five deaths, while KPK recorded 590 cases and 25 deaths. Pakistan's coronavirus tally has reached 1,197,887, while the death toll stands at 26,580