MIRI – More than 400 students here are down with Covid-19, said district Disaster Management Committee (DMC) chairman Datuk Lee Kim Shin.
Of Miri’s total 3,253 coronavirus infections, 13% of patients are of school-going age, he told the press here today.
“We have recommended to the state DMC in Kuching for schools in Miri to be shut for the next two weeks.”
He expressed hope that the proposal will receive Education Ministry approval soon.
Besides Miri, the worst-hit urban districts in Sarawak are Kuching, Sibu and Bintulu.
“The (district DMC) feels that having in-person classes is too risky. The safest thing for now is to hold lessons online,” said Lee.
He did not name the schools with virus-positive students, but said local authorities are doing all they can to contain Covid-19.
It is learnt that the schools are located not just within the city limits, but on the outskirts, too.
Parents have expressed concern about schools being open despite the state’s surging infections.
The Vibes today highlighted Tg Batu assemblyman Chiew Ching Sing’s call for schools in red zones to be shut immediately.
He questioned why the state DMC has yet to decide on the matter. – The Vibes, April 18, 2021
