NIBONG TEBAL: Authorities have identified teachers and students of SK Seri Sentosa, who are close contacts of a pupil who was tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday.
Screening (for Covid-19) has begun for some of them.
It was learnt that the pupil was from the school's special education class.
The state Education Department has taken immediate measures by identifying close contacts of the pupil concerned for further action by the Health Ministry.
Meanwhile, state Education Department director Abdul Rashid Abdul Samad said they were still in the dark as to how the pupil contracted Covid-19, but said close contacts had been identified.
As such, the matter has been handed over to the relevant authorities for the next course of action.
According to Abdul Rashid, the school has 498 pupils and 57 teachers.
He however could not ascertain the actual number of pupils and teachers screened.
Meanwhile, Abdul Rashid adviced pupils, teachers and parents to abide by the standard operating procedures (SOP) set at all times to break the chain of infection.
He said sanitisation exercise would be carried out during the closure.
Yesterday, the state Education Department ordered SK Seri Sentosa in Jalan Victoria here to be closed for a week, beginning yesterday, after a positive Covid-19 case was reported in the school.
On Oct 1, SK Permatang Janggus in Penaga, Kepala Batas was closed for eight days after a teacher contracted Covid-19.
It was reported that the female teacher, in her 40s, was unwell while at school and had sought treatment at a hospital in Kedah.
She was believed to be the wife of a politician from Kedah, who had gone for campaigning, during the recent Sabah state election.
All was quiet at the school when the New Straits Times went there for a checks.
A notice on the closure was posted at the main gate of the school while two security guards were spotted guarding the school compound.