School hit by hand, foot and mouth disease outbreak to partially open

the star
BY LOH FOON FONG

PETALING JAYA: Except for nine classes, SJK (C) Lick Hung Subang Jaya which has been been hit by hand, foot and mouth disease will reopen today.

Health officers who inspected the school decided that it need not be closed totally, said Selangor Education Department director Zainuren Mohd Nor.

“The students can return to school except for those from the classes affected as these will remain closed until May 4,” he said in a telephone interview yesterday.

To date, 19 students were reported suffering from the disease and they had been told to stay home. “We will continue to screen the students in school,” he said.

Asked the reason for the health officers returning to the school to inspect again yesterday, Zainuren said they had gone back to the school as part of continuously checks on the situation as well as to ensure the safety and health of students.

Determined: Teachers and parents cleaning a class following HFM outbreak at SJKC Lick Hung in SS19 Subang Jaya. —AZMAN GHANI / The Star

“It is not linked to their examinations,” he said when asked if the school had made any request to open soon in view of students’ examination period.

Zainuren said teachers together with students’ parents were involved in clean-up efforts at the school.

Recently, a Year One girl suffered from fever and pain in the arms and mouth for five days, before being admitted to Hospital Sultan Ismail in Johor Baru. She died the next day on April 18.

The Health Ministry had warned that the number of cases were expected to increase this year. The public were advised take the necessary precaution.

Based on the ministry’s surveillance, a large peak occurs once every three years and the last peak was in 2012 with 34,519 cases but only one death.

Zainuren said the hand, foot and mouth disease screening process in the school would be ongoing. Asked how many schools were closed recently due to the disease, he said this was the only known government school closed.

Later yesterday, the school’s website put up a notice to inform all students to return to school today except for those from 1E, 1H, 2C, 3D, 4A, 5E, 5F, 6H, 6I.

The website also said that all additional classes and co-curriculum activities would be cancelled for now.

All shared rooms such as laboratories, resource centre would be closed for clean-ups.

Parents were encouraged to provide hand sanitiser for their children to bring to school.

Students who were ill were required to rest at home and parents should monitor and inform the school about the illness.

The school’s examination had been postponed for a week to May 12.