SIBU: SJKC Tung Hua here will remain closed, starting today, until further notice, Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing Dr Annuar Rapaee has announced.
He said this decision was made following the detection of positive Covid-19 cases involving three pupils of the school.
According to him, the pupils are from three different classes.
He also said Sibu Health Office would conduct swab tests on all the close contacts, including the teachers, today – commencing at 10am.
“The swab test session would probably run for about one hour and hopefully, the results would be known by the next day (March 23). The headmaster of SJKC Tung Hua has prepared the list (of those going for the swab tests).
“The Fire and Rescue Department would also carry out sanitisation works on the school tomorrow morning (today).
“We seek the cooperation from parents to not send their children to school if they’re feeling unwell,” Dr Annuar, who is the coordinator for Sibu Division Disaster Management Committee (SDDMC), told The Borneo Post last night.
The Nangka assemblyman also said SJK Methodist here had been ordered to close until further notice, after a teacher there tested positive for Covid-19.
As for SK Abang Ali and SK St Mary, he said the closure of these schools was because of their close proximity to the Jalan Awang and Jalan Hilir Covid-19 clusters, and not because there were positive cases at the schools.
For the record, Sibu District Education Office had recently stated, via its Facebook page, that the closure order on eight primary schools – SK St Rita, SJK Sacred Heart Chinese, SJK Uk Daik, SJK Chung Sing, SK Sentosa, SK Sungai Durin, SK Ulu Durin Kiba and SK Sungai Naman – would be extended to March 26.
Previously, the order initially stated that these schools would remain closed until March 19.
“Like I always say in my daily Facebook Live, we have the opportunity to flatten the Covid-19 curve in Sibu, if there’s no surge in the number of Covid-19 cases in the coming weeks.
“For that reason, Sibu folk must play their part in putting the brakes on the spread of Covid-19 by following all the standard operating procedures (SOP),” said Dr Annuar.