KUALA LUMPUR: Parents are puzzled as to why there has been no directive to close off Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Bangsar despite two of its pupils testing positive for Covid-19 today.
The Year Five and Year Four pupils, both girls, were understood to have contracted the virus from their relatives who had attended a 'kenduri' recently.
SK Bangsar Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) chairman Mohd Yazid Mohd Yasin said there has been no directive to close the school for now. The school, he added, only cancelled the afternoon session after being informed of the cases.
He said the school was informed this morning by the Health Ministry that two of its pupils had tested positive for the virus.
"Until now, there has yet to be any directive to close the school. The school administration also has no authority to do so. They have to wait for further instructions from the district education office and the Health Ministry," he told Berita Harian.
Health Ministry staff visited the school to administer Covid-19 swab tests on students as well as teachers.
The swab tests involved around 80 pupils from Years Four and Five, as well as 26 teachers identified as close contacts of the two pupils.
Ministry staff are also expected to conduct sanitation work at the classroom and relevant locations within the school.
Mohd Yazid said the majority of parents, especially those whose children are now regarded as close contacts of the two pupils, are concerned if school is allowed to continue as usual.
Concerns have also been raised following the announcement today that a new a new Jalan Pantai cluster has emerged in the area with eight Covid-19 cases detected.
"I was at the school just now. Many parents were concerned over the developments. Some even cried at seeing their children wearing the coloured bracelets (issued by the ministry to classify a quarantine case).
"The PTA believe that the district education office and the ministry should postponed classes temporarily, at least for a week or two, while waiting for the outcome of tests on the close contacts," he said.
He said as of now, the PTA has told parents who have reservations against sending their children to school, to use their own judgment. However, the parents are required to send a written notice to the school.
"This is important because if the district education office enquires about the low student turnout, the school can then produce the letters," he said.
The lack of any directive to close the school has left parents puzzled, as there is a precedent to suspend school activities if cases are detected.
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Mutiara in Labuan, which had a pupil test positive for Covid-19, was instructed to close temporarily.
SK Kompleks Seberang Takir and SMK Kompleks Seberang Takir, meanwhile, were ordered to close on Oct 5 after several of their pupils came into contact with a Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) staff, who tested positive for Covid-19 last Saturday.