Schools hit by Covid-19 will close for 2 days in new govt directive

 

Any school that reports even one case of Covid-19 will be closed for two days, under a new directive from the Education Ministry.

Deputy Education Minister Mah Hang Soon (above) said the directive - which takes effect today (April 21) - was decided in a meeting chaired by minister Radzi Jidin.

"Schools with positive cases will be closed for two days.

"The school can be disinfected completely, and the teachers, students, and parents will have an emotional buffer space, which will prevent unnecessary panic and misunderstanding," Mah told Sin Chew Daily.

Students affected by the closure will switch to home-based learning, he said.

He added that district health officers will determine whether affected schools can re-open after two days, or if the closure has to be extended.

The decision comes after more cases of Covid-19 are being reported at schools.

Two schools were among the 11 new Covid-19 clusters today.

Two days ago, 19 schools in the Petaling district in Selangor were ordered closed.

Meanwhile, 259 or 56 percent of the 464 individuals who tested positive for Covid-19 in Kelantan between April 3 and 16 were secondary school students. - Mkini