KOTA TINGGI: The Education Ministry has issued a nationwide circular to temporarily prohibit school trips and other visits to Singapore and the Philippines to avoid the spread of Zika.
Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the circular was issued to all state- and district-level education authorities on Sept 1 after a decision was made at a high-level ministry meeting.
"A circular was issued to all district education offices, state education departments and schools for all trips to Singapore and the Philippines to be postponed for the time being because of the cases of Zika in those countries," said Mahdzir after opening the Tenggara Umno division delegates meeting at SMK Tun Habab here.
He said the directive to prohibit these overseas trips will be applied until the Health Ministry gives a new report on the Zika situation in those two countries.
He said a circular was also issued for all school and district education offices to conduct gotong-royong to destroy breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes, which spread the Zika virus.