LAHORE , APRIL 25 : Punjab government has notified closure of schools in 25 districts of the province witnessing over five percent COVID positivity rate, following a decision by the NCOC quoting provincial Schools Education Minister Murad Raas.

Sharing a notification on his Twitter account, Murad Raas said that all public and private schools will be closed immediately in the districts stated in the notification till further notice.

He further clarified that classes 9,10,11,12 will also be closed in these districts starting Monday 26, 2021.

The districts mentioned in the notification included Lahore, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Bhakkar, Chakwal, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Jhang, Kasur, Khanewal, Khushab, Lodhran, Mandi Bahauddin, Multan, Okara, Pakpattan, Rahimyar Khan, Rawalpindi, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Toba Tek Singh.

The minister further shared that the schools will remain open with the previous schedule in 11 other districts of the province.

Schools in various Punjab cities closed on NCOC decision after COVID surge.

On Friday while sharing the fresh restrictions approved by the NCC meeting headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan, Federal Minister for Planning and Development and Head of the NCOC said that all schools in areas witnessing a positivity rate of five percent will remain shut.

Two days back, the Punjab government had announced to shut schools in major cities of the province where COVID positivity ratio has gone beyond six percent.