ISLAMABAD – Schools in Covid-19 hotspots areas will remain closed tillApril 28, Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood announced Tuesday.

Addressing the media after chairing a meeting of provincial educationministers at the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), he announcedthat students of classes nine to 12 will have to come to schools.

Pakistan’s top monitoring body will review the situation again on April 28and decide whether to keep schools closed until Eid ul Fitar, the ministeradded.

Universities in the affected regions will also remain closed and classeswill be held online while universities will remain open and function asnormal in other parts of the country.

Addressing the O and A level academics, Shafqat said it had decided withthe consensus that O and A level exams should continue as per schedule asthe student are very less – compared to students of local education boardsin Pakistan.