Another Primary School Ordered Close

KUCHING, March 28 (Bernama) -- One more primary school in Sarikei division has been ordered to close as the number of new Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) cases reported in the state increased to 235 Tuesday.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said SK Nanga Engkamop in Julau was closed for two weeks after health teams confimed seven HFMD cases among the pupils.
"The number of cases seems to have increased due to the active case detection in schools, which reopened on Monday," Dr Chan, who is also Sarawak Disaster and Relief Management Committee chairman, said in his daily updates on HFMD here.
He said 21.7 per cent or 51 out of the 235 new cases reported over the last 24 hours were detected by the active case detection, whereby medical and dental staff were sent to schools throughout Sarawak for the HFMD screening.
The latest closure brought to 46 the number of primary schools ordered to shut down although 17 of them had reopened since yesterday.
Dr Chan said Sarawak had reported 7,026 infected children since the outbreak was first detected in Sibu last month, with the death toll remaining at eight, including three cases confirmed to be Enterovirus 71 (EV71) positive.
Over the last 24 hours, 25 new admissions were reported at hospitals in Kapit, Sarikei, Bintulu, Sibu, Marudi and Mukah, bringing the cumulative admissions to 1,186 so far.
He said 77 HFMD patients were still awarded but no critically ill cases had been reported, including the 10 affected Penan children from Long Singgu in Belaga, who were evacuated to Bintulu Hospital by helicopter on Saturday.
At present 22 infected children are being treated at the Bintulu hospital, 15 at the Sarikei Hospital, nine at Kapit Hospital and five at the Sarawak Hospital here.
Meanwhile, the ministry has extended the closure of all kindergartens and preschool centres in Sarawak for another one week until April 2.