Pakistan government on Friday announced that all secondary and higher secondary level schools in the country will reopen, according to which classes from 9 to 12 will begin from January 18 as planned previously, while classes 1-8 will start from February 1 instead of January 25.

Federal Education Minister  Mahmood was addressing a press conference after the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) meeting which was also attended by federal and provincial health and education ministers. The authorities discussed the ongoing wave of Covid-19, which is being considered as more lethal than the first one and has forced the closure of educational institutions in order to protect students and teachers.

The minister also announced that no student would be promoted without examination this year unlike the promotions granted last year. The announcement came as 2,417 new cases of coronavirus were reported across the country after tests of 49,359 people during the last 24 hours.

According to latest statistics by the Ministry of National Health Services, 45 people died due to COVID-19 during this period, taking the total death toll to 10,863. The number of positive cases has surged to 514,338.