File photo of an empty classroom as schools are directed to close following a recent spike in Covid-19 cases in Sarawak.
KUCHING (Oct 30): Three schools in Samarahan district — SMK Wira Penrissen, SMK Sungai Tapang and SK Wira Jaya — have been ordered to close from Nov 2 to Nov 13, the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) announced today.
The schools have been directed to close in line with the announcement by the Education Ministry on the closure of all schools and educational institutions in Kuching District, which was declared a Covid-19 red zone on Oct 27.
Originally, SDMC had announced that SMK Sungai Tapang would stay open despite the closure order due to it being located in Kota Samarahan District. The school closure order had initially specified that only schools in Kuching District would be closed.
The announcement had drawn significant backlash from netizens on social media, who voiced concern about the school’s proximity to a known active cluster nearby, the Baki Cluster.
Kampung Haji Baki has since been hit with an Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) after 30 Covid-19 positive cases were detected in the area.
All positive cases from the cluster are receiving treatment at isolation wards and are now in stable condition.