Dr Annuar Rapaee
SIBU (April 25): A total of 177 teachers and students from 85 schools in the Sibu Division were tested positive for Covid-19 between April 4 and April 23, said Sibu Divisional Disaster Management Committee (SDDMC) coordinator Dr Annuar Rapaee.
He said out of the 85 schools where Covid-19 cases were reported, 46 of them were primary schools (SK and SJK), 23 secondary schools, 11 nurseries, four preschools and one private school.
“Between April 4 and 23, a total of 85 schools in Sibu Division had reported Covid-19 cases with 177 positives comprised teachers and students.
“The total number of swab (samples) taken totalled 3,716 for that period,” said Dr Annuar, who is also Assistant Minister for Education, Science and Technological Research.
In the light of the present Covid-19 situation, he questioned if the schools in the state should be allowed to resume physical classes.
The Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing also mentioned that workplace including offices, factories and schools, had been identified as places where transmission of Covid-19 could occur easily, with 721 cases reported in the past two weeks.
In this regard, he called for employers to enforce strict standard operating procedure (SOP) at their workplace.
“Employers are urged to strictly disallow their employees to gather at small corners and pantries during meal times or breaks.
“Wear face masks at all times even though under the special Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), where only 50 per cent of employees are allowed to go to work.
“And don’t be sensitive or feel offended, when people ask you to follow the SOP (standard operating procedures), it is to protect you and your family from the Covid-19 pandemic,” the Nangka assemblyman, stressed.