Govt schools told to implement ‘anti-virus’ mode as new wave of Covid-19 hits Malaysia

Government schools could be the next flashpoint of the Covid-19 virus, which has seen a spike in the number of local patients recently.

PETALING JAYA: Schools nationwide have been urged to implement strict medical emergency measures including barring students showing signs of flu-like symptoms, as a new wave of the Covid-19 epidemic hit the country recently, with a sharp rise in the number of local victims.

Parent Action Group for Education, or PAGE said this would involve taking body temperatures of students before they are allowed into school, as has been the standard operating procedure of some private schools.

PAGE said authorities should also bar those who have been to China, Japan, Iran, South Korea, Italy and Iran in the last 14 days, and not allow them enter school compounds.

“If they have been exposed to a confirmed Covid-19 patient within the last 14 days and not tested negative, they should not be allowed in school,” said PAGE secretary Tunku Munawirah Putra.

Munawirah said a model used in Australia, which includes self-quarantine and disinfection measures, could also be implemented locally.

“The school determines who the sick person has come in close contact with,” she told FMT.

Last week, Malaysia saw the highest jump of 28 cases of Covid-19.

The virus which was first detected in Wuhan, China, has since spread to more than 100 countries with over 110,000 cases and close to 4,000 deaths.

Munawirah said parents should be the “first filter” on the state of their children’s health, followed by the school where teachers must identify children with flu-like symptoms before deciding to send them home. - FMT