Datuk Lee Kim Shin
MIRI (April 18): The Miri Division Disaster Management Committee (MDDMC) has requested the Sarawak Education Department to temporarily close the schools in Miri Division for 14 days and revert to home-based learning (PdPR) in the effort to curb the spread of Covid-19 in schools.
Its minister-in-charge Datuk Lee Kim Shin said the committee came up with this decision after being briefed on the Covid-19 situation including the cases involving schools in Miri by Miri Divisional Health Office, Miri General Hospital and Miri Divisional Education Office during a meeting via Zoom yesterday.
“Some 13 per cent of the total 3,253 cumulative positive cases involved school-going children. The meeting was also informed that one secondary school principal in Miri was served a compound notice for breach of standard operating procedure (SOP),” he said in a press statement.
Lee said while a majority of the schools in Miri District have over one thousand students, there is a secondary school with over three thousand students.
Lee also said the committee was also informed during the meeting, which was also attended by Miri Resident Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusuf, who is also the MDDMC chairman that the medical facilities at Miri Hospital and Covid-19 Quarantine and Treatment Centre (PKRC) have almost reached their full capacity.
“In view of this, the committee has decided that the schools in Miri District should be temporary closed for face-to-face teaching for 14 days and revert to PdPR as soon as possible to curb the spread of the virus in schools,” he added.
As Subis and Beluru Districts are also classified as Covid-19 red zones, he said the committee also requested for the schools in the two districts to be temporarily closed for 14 days.
Lee said a written request for schools in Miri Division to be temporarily closed was sent to the Sarawak Education Department director today and a copy of the letter was forwarded to the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
Lee said he has also personally spoken to Uggah this morning who was supportive of the decision.
Therefore, he hoped that the Sarawak Education Department director will give due consideration and approve MDDMC’s request.
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