MIRI – The reopening of schools on October 3 should be accompanied with a blueprint to ensure the health and safety of students, said Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii.
He said that it was a relief that the move was delayed, but stressed there was no point setting a new date in the absence of a health and safety blueprint.
“I hope the setting of a new date on October 3 is not just a random number to postpone the resumption of classes due to concerns from parents.
“The Education Ministry must draw up a proper plan on how to ensure the safety of students.
As it is now, there is no clear plan by the ministry to impose measures to protect students from the threat of Covid-19 and other variants.”
“So now, they have until October 3 to get things right,” he said on social media.
Outgoing Education Minister Datuk Mohd Radzi Md Jidin in a Facebook live announcement last night said that only schools located in states not under Phase 1 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) will be allowed to operate on October 3 instead of the originally scheduled September 1.
The ministry had to delay the opening on advice from the Health Ministry and the National Security Council with regard to the nation’s current public health situation.
On Saturday, a kindergarten in Kuching that had reopened recently triggered a new cluster after about two dozen children and teaching staff were infected with Covid-19, The Vibes reported.
That is the result of unvaccinated young ones gathering indoors. More so with the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant.
In Sarawak, boarding schools in rural and semi-rural localities can have hundreds of students living together in congested dormitories.
Many schools in those areas are unable to ensure safe physical distancing among students.
Even the teachers’ living quarters and classrooms are small and congested.
Rural schools usually start to receive student boarders one week ahead of reopening. This is to allow adequate travel time, and they come by the dozens at a time, via cramped pick-up trucks and longboats.
It is feared that such conditions could result in Covid-19 devastating the state.
There is a dangerous infection trend involving the Delta variant in Kuching and its surrounding districts, state Disaster Management Committee adviser Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian had previously said.
This Delta transmission pattern is more infectious, and on Thursday Sarawak recorded a high of 1,216 new infections, 85% of which were in Kuching, Serian, Bau and Samarahan districts.
“We should be alarmed by the latest numbers of new cases. The infection trend now is reflecting a typical transmission pattern of the Delta variant.
“It comes with more infections, spreads faster especially in pre-symptomatic stages as it spreads via aerosol (airborne),” he said. – The Vibes, August 16, 2021
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