Chung Hua first school to close

Star: KUCHING: The Kuching Chung Hua Primary School 3 here has become the first primary school in Sarawak ordered to close immediately for two weeks to prevent the spread of hand, foot and mouth (HFM) disease.
The school authorities received the order by the state Health Department at 2.45pm yesterday after three pupils were suspected to have come down with the disease.
The pupils were from Years One, Three and Five, said school headmaster Moh Fok Choi.
Moh said as the school would close for the first term holiday on Friday, the more than 1,710 pupils in 36 classes would only miss four days of lessons.
Classes will resume on March 21, one day after the start of the second term.
Moh said as the notice from the health department came after lessons ended, the school could not inform the pupils.
“We have got teachers to help call parents,” he said.
The Health Ministry had earlier ordered all the 488 kindergarten in the state to close for two weeks as the number of HFM cases jumped.