EDUCATION Minister Fadhlina Sidek said that the recent drastic increase in COVID-19 cases involving the education cluster is under control due to measures implemented by the Education Ministry.These intervention measures include isolating students, reminding teachers and students of the increase in cases, and urging parents to monitor their children’s health before sending them to school.Fadhlina emphasised that the Education Ministry is taking the matter very seriously and carrying out research to determine the cause of the drastic increase in cases.The Ministry is exploring ways to stop the spread of COVID-19 and is urging all relevant authorities to take the necessary steps to ensure everyone’s health, especially during the upcoming festive season as Hari Raya is just around the corner.Yesterday (April 7), health experts warned that a continuous spike in COVID-19 cases after the Hari Raya celebration is possible, and this is following the increase in new infections in the country recently.Universiti Putra Malaysia’s virologist Associate Professor Dr Chee Hui Yee said social (human) movement and family gatherings were among the major factors that would contribute to the spike in cases after Raya.“The spike in cases (after Raya) is (mainly) due to human movement and family members getting together. Furthermore, as the wearing of masks is not mandatory any more, variants such as the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 could be more transmissible (during this period),” the New Straits Times reported the virologist as saying.According to the Health Ministry, 11 education clusters were reported from March 26 to April 1, following the opening of the school session in mid-March.Fadhlina attributed the increase in cases to people moving around extensively during the school holidays.Overall, the Education Ministry’s measures have successfully controlled the increase in COVID-19 cases in the education cluster.However, the Ministry continues to closely monitor the situation and take the necessary steps to prevent the spread of the virus. — April 8, 2023
Main photo credit: NST
