NCOC quashes rumours of closing primary schools in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD – The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Tuesday rejected rumours of closing primary schools in the country due to surge in novel coronavirus cases.

Taking to Twitter, the top monitoring body said that fake news regarding the closure of primary schools is circulating via a fake Twitter account.

“Action against this account has been initiated through FIA cybercrime wing,” it added while attaching the photo of the Twitter account.

A fake news regarding closure of primary schools is circulating via fake twitter account. Action against this account has been initiated through FIA cyber crime wing. pic.twitter.com/qp7tL2PZe8

— NFRCC (@NFRCCofficial) January 18, 2022

The statement comes a day after NCOC postponed the decision regarding the closure of educational institutions in Monday’s meeting.

Officials said they will first look at the data of positivity rates of various institutions to devise a new policy. A brief statement issued by NCOC cited “Decision about education institutions will be taken on data of positive cases of various institutions for which massive testing in education institutions is being carried out”.

NCOC Chief Asad Umar and National Coordinator Maj General Muhammad Zafar Iqbal chaired the NCOC session, while PM’s aide on health, provincial health, and education ministers joined the meeting virtually.

Earlier, Punjab health minister Yasmin Rashid said the officials do not favour the closure of schools. “We don't want the schools shut since education has already suffered enough,” she said.