Two religious schools shut down after 50% of students get fever

JOHOR BARU: Two private religious schools in the state have decided to temporarily close down after 50% of its students started suffering from fever.

The schools, SR Islam Hidayah and SM Islam Hidayah at Kg Sinaran Baru, Skudai have decided to take the precautionary measure despite no reported influenza A (H1N1) case there.

A visit to the school showed that a notice had been plastered at the entrance informing visitors that the school was closed from Aug 3 until the following Monday.

The notice was issued by the board of trustees for both the schools that are located in the same vicinity.

Board chairman Prof Dr Noor Azlan Ahmad Zanzali said that the closure of both the schools was not under the instruction of the State Health Department.

"The school authorities and the parents of the children were concerned as many of the them including the teachers were becoming feverish.

"We thought that it would be better if we take precautionary measures and close the school even before official instruction by the health department," he said when contacted.

He added that the school had about 1,600 students for both the morning and evening sessions.

He also added that health officials had visited the school before but so far there had been no cases of A (H1N1).

Johor health director Dr Mohd Khairy Yaakub confirmed that the school had not been given any official letter from the health department relating to the closure.

He also added that the closing of schools was up to the school authorities themselves.

"The health department cannot force closure but what we have been doing is advising those with high risk to temporarily close," he said adding that it was then up to them to follow through with the directive.

Source: TheStar