Fact-check: Are Punjab's schools being closed for a week in some districts?
Notification — termed fake by the Punjab govt — had said that schools would close in some Punjab districts from March 6-13
- Punjab govt debunks fake circular announcing schools will be closed
- Fake notification had said that schools will be closed from March 6-13 due to rising COVID-19 cases
- Punjab govt's School Education Department's official Twitter account dismisses circular
A circular from the Punjab government's School Education Department had been going viral on social media a few days ago, stating that schools in the province have been told to close from March 6-13 owing to a rising number of coronavirus cases.
However, the official Twitter account of the provincial school education department on Friday took to Twitter to reject the news, saying that it was fake.
"Following notification being circulated, related to closure of schools in some districts, is FAKE," read the school education department's tweet.
The notification that had been going viral over the internet had said that the provincial government had decided to close schools — both public and private — in the province from March 6-13 "in the wake of the sudden rise in COVID-19 cases".
The notification said schools in Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad would be closed for a week.