Eight more schools closed

The Star KUCHING: Eight primary schools were ordered to close after 49 pupils came down with the hand, foot and mouth (HFM) disease.
The closure came barely two days after schools reopened for the second term. This brought to 25 the number of primary schools ordered closed for two weeks.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam said the eight schools are SK Batu Lintang, SK Baku Undop, SK Jendok and SK St Lawrence in Sri Aman Division; SK Kampung Jebunga, SK Penakub and SK Sungai Kampung Teh in Mukah Division; and SK Abang Haji Matahir in Sarikei.
“There were 17 cases in Sungai Kampung Teh, the highest among the eight schools,” he said at his office at Wisma Bapa Malaysia yesterday.
Dr Chan said the state Health Department’s surveillance teams detected the cases.
A total of 188 new cases were reported yesterday, with Mukah Division topping the list at 34. Kuching had 31, and Sibu 24,
There were 51 new admissions, swelling the number of patients warded state-wide to 96. The number of deaths remains at eight.
Dr Chan said a 21-month-old girl from Sungai Belawi in Kapit Division who was airlifted to Sibu Hospital on Monday was now under observation at the intensive care unit.
He urged all parents to check their children for any HFM symptoms like rashes on the hands and feet or ulcers in the mouth, before sending them to school.
“Children found with such symptoms should not be allowed to go to school but be taken to the doctor instead,” he said.
Chan called on teachers to do similar checks before the start of class every morning so as to isolate pupils who have the disease.
“This is important to ensure that the disease will not spread to more pupils and lead to the closure of more schools,” he added.
On the death of a six-day-old boy in Miri hospital, Dr Chan said the victim showed no sign of having the HFM disease.
He said the health authorities were trying to get permission from the boy’s parents to carry out a post-mortem.