COVID-19: NCOC calls for early winter vacations for students

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) have suggested early and more extended winter vacation for students amid a surge in coronavirus cases positivity ratio in educational institutions.

According to a recommendation statement by the NCOC on Wednesday, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar presided a meeting of the forum to review the Covid-19 pandemic situation in the country.

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The forum discussed the rising cases of the virus in the educational institutions and demanded immediate steps to tackle the situation.

The forum further decided to hold a special review meeting on November 16 to be presided by the Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood to review its educational institutions' pandemic situation.

The forum will also take the provincial education ministries on board, the statement said. It added that the review meeting would decide on the early closure of educational institutions for a winter vacation to view the virus's prevailing condition.

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"The forum, taking into account a rising positivity ratio, has suggested early and extended winter vacations to ensure safety and health of students," the statement added.

Last week, the Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference had rejected the idea of early winter vacations. The ministers had suggested either no vacations or limiting them to overcome the pandemic's academic loss.