ISLAMABAD — Pakistan cancelled all school exams until June amid a surge in deaths and infections from coronavirus, which has flooded the country’s hospitals.

The decision was announced by education minister Shafqat Mahmood days after students took to Twitter, saying their lives were endangered by holding exams of Cambridge International in Pakistan.

However, Mahmood continued vowing to go ahead with the exams, which began on Monday amid the pandemic. As the criticism grew, Mahmood said Tuesday all schools exams will be held in October.

The latest development came hours after Pakistan reported 142 deaths from coronavirus, one of the highest single-day deaths since last year. Pakistan is currently in the middle of the third wave and the steady increase in infections and deaths from coronavirus has flooded the country’s hospitals.

Pakistan has reported more than 17,000 confirmed deaths from COVID-19 and more than 800,000 confirmed cases.