ISLAMABAD: After a break of nearly five months, Pakistan on Tuesday began its phased reopening of schools, in view of the falling number of new cornavirus cases in the country.

While high schools, colleges and universities reopened on September 15, classes VI to VIII would start from September 23.

Primary school will start from September 30, officials said.

As per the health protocols, 20 students or less can be seated in a classroom.

The students have been divided into groups and will attend schools on alternate days.

Masks are mandatory for teachers and students. The institutions will ensure availability of hand-washing facilities and sanitizers at the entry gates. All educational institutions in Pakistan were closed on March 16 after the outbreak of the coronavirus. 

All annual examinations were cancelled.

The number of coronavirus cases reached 302,424 on Tuesday after 404 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours.

Six patients died in this period, taking the death toll to 6,389, according to the Ministry of National Health Services.

So far, 290,261 people have fully recovered from the disease, while 563 are in critical condition.

Sindh has reported 132,250 cases, Punjab 97,817, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 37,079, Islamabad 15,962, Balochistan 13,621, Gilgit-Baltistan 3,269 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 2,426.

The authorities said 29,95,890 COVID-19 tests have conducted in the country, including 27,277 in the last 24 hours.