KUALA LUMPUR: Experts believe that the closure of schools, implemented when Covid-19 infections were at their peak earlier in the year, should be a last resort in the event the pandemic spirals beyond control.
They believe the standard operating procedures (SOP) in place, coupled with additional measures carried out by the Health Ministry, could help contain the virus. They stressed that it is imperative for all parties, including the public, to strictly adhere to the SOP to break the transmission chain.
Malaysian Public Health Physicians' Association president Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said only schools with cases involving teachers or students, or those who had close contact with cases or Persons Under Surveillance were affected.
"The school authorities must strictly monitor students and teachers, while parents and teachers should be honest and transparent.
"This is not easy, but it is practical," he told the New Straits Times.
Closing all schools again, said Dr Zainal, would greatly affect the students' learning process, noting that the schoolgoing community was a sizeable one.
He added that while both schoolchildren and students at higher learning institutions were almost similar in terms of vulnerability, those in schools were easier to control.
Melaka Action Group for Parents in Education chairman Mak Chee Kin concurred with Dr Zainal that closing schools again should be the last resort.
"As long as the Health Ministry believes that the situation is manageable, the closing of schools should be the last resort.
"Online teaching and learning are not equal (if compared with in-class learning experience)."
Mak said while the procedures were under control when the children were in schools, the same could not be said after the students stepped out of the schools and leave for their homes.
"Since it is beyond the authority of the schools, we hope that the authorities could advise the parents and students to follow the SOP."
Dr Zainal said the way forward was to ensure that everyone, including agencies and the public, continue to be vigilant and strictly adhere to the SOP.
"The government should take serious action against those violating any of the SOP."
At a press conference last Friday, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the ministry had yet to make any recommendation on the closure of schools.
He said this when asked to commenting on claims on social media that two schools in Putrajaya were closed for two weeks after confirmed positive cases were detected there.