KUALA LUMPUR: All schools and educational institutions in Kuching, Sarawak, the latest Covid-19 red zone in the country, have been ordered to close for two weeks, effective Friday (Oct 30).
The two-week closure until Nov 13 will affect 209 primary and secondary schools; matriculation colleges and teacher training centres.
In a statement last night, the Education Ministry (MoE) said the announcement comes after Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, recorded a surge in Covid-19 positive cases, following the discovery of a new cluster yesterday.
"The Kuching district has been confirmed as a red zone by the Health Ministry. The directive is in line with the Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's announcement on Oct 6 for all educational institutions to close when the district is declared as a red zone," it read.
The move applies to all educational institutions throughout the district including private schools and boarding schools and those with hostel facilities.
Parents and guardians may refer to the MoE website for the list of affected schools and institutions.
"This list will be updated from time to time and will be uploaded on the MoE portal at www.moe.gov.my and its social media platforms."
It said educational institutions with accommodations are also subjected to the closure.
"However, students who may need to wait for their parents to pick them up from these facilities or students who preferred to remain at the schools hostels during the closure can do so by notifying the hostel wardens.
"Food and drinks during the period will be provided by the school or educational institution," it said.
It added teachers should opt to continue teaching their students via online learning platforms which were readily available on the ministry's website.
"Home teaching and learning manuals can be downloaded from the MoE's official portal www.moe gov.my. Any further notifications regarding the closure of schools and educational institutions will be made from time to time," it said.