LAHORE: The Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department on Monday released a report on coronavirus tests in educational institutions of the province.

According to the report, the department had conducted 28,887 tests in different institutes of the province and found 51 students, three teachers and a staff member positive for virus.

The coronavirus tests of 6,168 secondary school students were negative while 41 were positive, 20,178 students of higher secondary schools were tested negative and 21 positive.

As many as 1,770 students of the universities were tested negative and only one was declared positive.

The tests were conducted in 327 educational institutes of Lahore, 39 of Gujrat, eight of Faisalabad, 11 of Nankana Sahib, five of Bhakkar, 18 of Lodhran, 21 of Gujranwala and 14 of Bahawalpur.

The department had sealed nine classrooms of different educational institutions in different areas of the province including two in Lahore, six in Gujrat, and one each in Bhakkar and Lodhran, two classrooms each in Gujranwala and Bahawalpur.

Primary and Secondary Healthcare Secretary retired Capt Muhammad Usman said the department had issued standard operating procedure to contain coronavirus spread in educational institutes.

He said action would be taken over violation of SOPs and complete opening of educational institutes would be possible after 100 per cent implementation of protocol.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2020