Kindergartens stay closed in Sarawak

NST: All kindergartens, day-care centres and preschools in the State will remain closed for another week as the Health Department wants to ensure that the "vulnerable group" does not contract the hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD).
"We will review the closure order on these premises after the extension period," Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan told reporters after chairing a meeting of health officers yesterday.
A total of 488 kindergartens and day-care centres and 534 preschools were ordered to shut down early this month by the Health Ministry for an indefinite period after children below the age of four were found to have contracted the deadly Enterovirus 71 (EV71) virus.
Dr Chan said children below four were the vulnerable group and likely to die if they were treated late for the disease.
Eight children with symptoms of HFMD who died were aged between eight months and four years.
Three of them succumbed to EV71 while more tests on the others are being conducted to determine the cause of death.
Dr Chan said primary schools which were ordered closed could resume their classes on Monday provided that they had fulfilled the two-week period.
"As long as they have fulfilled the period, they can resume their classes," he said.
He said all Standard One to Four pupils could return to the classes on Monday provided they were not from the schools that had been ordered to shut down.
"The authorities will be keeping a close watch on these pupils as we do not want them to get the disease."
Nine more primary schools were ordered shut for two weeks yesterday, bringing the total to 41 to date, after 25 children were found to have HFMD symptoms.
The schools are SK Santebu, SK Kung Cheng, SK Mador, SK Ulu Meradong, SK Bukit Kinjau, SK Agama and SK Sarikei (all in Sarikei division) and SK Batu Danau and SK Gadong in Limbang division.
Dr Chan said 218 new cases of suspected HFMD were detected over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number to 6,424.
Fifty of the new cases are in Sarikei, Miri (39), Mukah (27), Kapit (26), Sibu (24), Bintulu (19) and the rest from other towns.
Fifty-seven of the new cases were admitted to hospital while the rest were given outpatient treatment. Dr Chan said none of the patients was in critical condition.