Last update: 1.20pm
By Adrian Lim
KUCHING, April 19: The Sarawak government has decided to close all schools and tuition centres in Covid-19 red zones for two weeks starting tomorrow.
The announcement was made by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg during a special press conference at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here today.
“I have decided that all schools in Covid-19 red zones will be closed starting tomorrow, because we have seen that there are infections in schools that can be transmitted to parents, and parents transmitting (the infection) to their children.
“There are also teachers who are infected as well,” he said after chairing a meeting on the enforcement on the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to curb the transmission of Covid-19 here today.
Abang Johari who is also Finance and Economic Planning Minister asserted that for public health and the safety of the children, the Sarawak government has decided to temporarily close all schools and tuition centres in red zones of Covid-19 for 14 days to curb the transmission of the coronavirus.
There are 18 districts in Sarawak which are classified as Covid-19 red zones.
They are Kuching, Sibu, Miri, Bintulu, Kapit, Meradong, Julau, Serian, Samarahan, Beluru, Sarikei, Mukah, Matu, Subis, Saratok, Selangau, Kanowit and Belaga.
Meanwhile, there were two Covid-19 clusters involving schools reported yesterday.
They are the Jalan Bintulu-Sibu Cluster in Tatau which involved a secondary school student who tested positive for Covid-19 on April 10 and the Tarat Tani Cluster in Serian which involved a housewife and subsequently involved a primary school and a secondary school in Tarat.
In Miri, the Miri Divisional Disaster Management Committee (MDDMC) revealed that so far there have been more than 400 students tested positive for Covid-19.
Hence, Minister in charge of MDDMC Datuk Lee Kim Shin had yesterday proposed to the State Education Department that schools in Miri, Subis and Beluru districts be closed for two weeks. — DayakDaily
