The Government of Sindh is considering closing down schools and colleges in Karachi on account of the growing number of cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

The Sindh Health Department announced in a statement on Tuesday that the authorities are monitoring the situation closely and will make a decision in this regard within two or three days.

The development comes just a day after the educational institutes in the provinces reopened after the winter vacations.

The Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health, Dr. Faisal Sultan, revealed on Monday that the COVID-19 infection rate in Karachi had crossed 8.9 percent and that most of the cases were of the Omicron variant.

“People should protect themselves by wearing masks and get vaccinated because most of the cases are of unvaccinated people,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, has directed the concerned authorities to increase the vaccination campaigns in Karachi and Hyderabad and take action against violations of the COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs).

The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the Omicron variant appears to have a “growth advantage” over the Delta variant which was previously the fastest spreading variant of the virus.

A recent study conducted by the University of Copenhagen, Statistics Denmark, and Statens Serum Institut (SSI), suggests that the virus can mutate itself against the immunity obtained from vaccines.

The researchers said, “Our findings confirm that the rapid spread of the Omicron (variant) primarily can be ascribed to the immune evasiveness rather than an inherent increase in the basic transmissibility”.

However, the study is yet to be peer-reviewed.

Source: Pro Pakistani