As many as 56,299 Covid-19 tests were conducted at government and private schools across Sindh after they resumed classes in phases starting September 15, Education Minister Saeed Ghani said on Tuesday. Thus far, 40,414 samples have been taken at government schools, out of which 217 came back positive, whereas 86 positive cases emerged when 15,885 tests were conducted at private schools, he disclosed. Saeed Ghani said a total of 303 samples were declared positive, which is 0.75 per cent of the total samples taken for Covid-19. Expressing satisfaction over the implementation of SOPs at schools, he said he along with the education secretary and other officials of the department have been visiting schools and monitoring the situation. “Our main focus is to peddle awareness about precautions among parents,” the minister said, adding they have asked parents to visit schools of their children to examine the conditions there and pick and drop their children themselves to keep the virus at bay.
