Schools in Kabul closed for two weeks as COVID-19 cases surge

Schools and Universities in 16 provinces including Afghanistan's capital Kabul will remain closed for two weeks as the country's COVID-19 cases surge. The Ministry of Public Health on Saturday made the announcement in an effort aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19.

The government and private schools, universities and training centers will remain closed in Kabul, Ghazni, Helmand, Kandahar, Logar, Nangarhar, Paktia, Parwan, Maidan Wardak, Panjshir, Balkh, Laghman, Badakhshan, Kapisa, Kunduz and Nimroz. According to the Ministry, the highest daily reported cases during the first wave of COVID-19 last year in the country was 915 cases a day, but in this second wave, it has reached upto 977 on Friday.

The Ministry of Public Health on Friday reported 977 new positive cases of COVID-19 out of 3,800 samples tested in the last 24 hours. It also reported 18 deaths and 157 recoveries from COVID-19 in the same period. The ministry reported that the cumulative total of known COVID-19 cases is 70,107, the total number of reported deaths is 2,899, and the total number of recoveries is 57,119.

So far, 462,860 samples have been tested in government centers and there are 10,089 known active COVID-19 cases in the country, data by the ministry indicates.