Four schools in Sandakan closed after students and teachers test positive for Covid-19

 By Olivia Miwil - January 29, 2021 @ 9:46pm

Sabah Covid-19 spokesperson Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the 10-day closure directive was made for SM St Mary, SMK Elopura, SMK Batu Sapi and SMK Perempuan, here. - NSTP/MALAI ROSMAH TUAH.

SANDAKAN: Four secondary schools here were ordered to close following several students and teachers contracting Covid-19.

Sabah Covid-19 spokesperson Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the 10-day closure directive was made for SM St Mary, SMK Elopura, SMK Batu Sapi and SMK Perempuan, here.

There were a total of 10 students and four teachers from these schools who were confirmed to be Covid-19 positive from Jan 20-26.

At SM St Mary, there is a teacher and eight students who tested positive for the virus. At SMK Elopura, there are two teachers infected.

At SMK Batu Sapi, there is a teacher and a student infected, while in SMK Perempuan, there is one student infected.

"For students who are not infected by Covid-19, the schooling sessions will be held normally through online or the printed learning module which have been prepared by their respective teachers.

"As of today, there are no other schools being told to close to prevent the spread of Covid-19 among students," he said in a virtual press conference here.

Apart from that, Masidi said there is one Covid-19 case involving a child at a private kindergarten since the reopening of schools on Jan 20.

As for data on total students and teachers infected with the virus, the state Education Department was still compiling it, he said.

He said the Tinanom cluster in Ranau involved an index case who is a student, who was screened before checking into a school hostel.

"The Health Ministry traced another 46 cases to the index case's hometown in Kampung Tinanom. It (the cluster) began from a feast at the village.

"It is a big number, almost half of the villagers are infected," said Masidi, reminding people to make sacrifices to help bring down the number of Covid-19 cases in Sabah by refraining from social gatherings for now.

Today, Sabah recorded 288 Covid-19 cases with the current R-naught at 1.08.

Another cluster dubbed as Jalan Sepanggar has a cumulative number of 12 cases with the index case detected on Jan 26.