SIBU, March 30: The Sibu Division Disaster Management Committee wants the public to give feedback on when schools can reopen.
In his daily Covid-19 update for Sibu via Facebook livestream today, its coordinator Dr Annuar Rapaee said he had received many messages from the public, especially from parents, wanting schools to remain closed after the current semester break which ends on April 3.
“I have received a lot of messages from people who suggested that schools remain closed but there is no suggestion on when can schools open,” he said.
The Nangka assemblyman said although he emphathised with the concern of parents, he needed public opinion on when schools can reopen so that the authorities could work out the pros and cons for the reopening of schools.
“So give us a suggestion so that we can deliberate and discuss with teachers and headmasters and principals’ councils and parent-teacher associations. We are open to discussion. I really want to know personally from the public when schools can be opened. If we say “schools can only be opened when there is zero case” or “schools can only be opened when Sibu turns yellow” or “schools can only open when Sibu turns green”… That type of opinion instead of suggesting schools should not open,” he said.
The committee, he said, would hold a meeting at 11am tomorrow to decide whether schools should be reopened or vice versa.
On the 40 cases reported in Sibu today, he said 38 of them were from Sibu Municipal Council areas, and one each in Sibu Rural District Council and Sibu Jaya areas.
“Though there are 38 cases in SMC areas, there are no more red zones. There are now five orange zones, two green and 27 yellow from the total of 34 zones,” he said.
He noted however that of particular concern were the nine cases reported in the Bukit Lima zone (within Lanang) where the cases surfaced from several groups staying together.
Sibu Jaya also does not have any red zones, only one orange, eight yellow and seven green zones.
From the earlier mentioned 40 cases, two were from quarantine centres, 22 were close contacts to positive cases, four were detected via active case detection, and 12 detected from the community. — DayakDaily
