Ministry debunks claims over Selangor schools closure

No school in Selangor has been closed due to hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), said the Health Ministry.

Its Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah debunked talk swirling on social media that as many as 51 schools in Selangor were closed due to outbreaks.

“Based on observations by the Health Ministry in 2018, up till now, there is neither any school nor class closure in Selangor due to HFMD.

“There were only two HFMD clusters reported at two separate schools but both of these schools and classes continued as usual.

“The schools and classes involved were not closed as checks by the health team found that there was no risk of HFMD spreading to other students,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Dr Noor Hisham also reminded the public to verify information or news on HFMD released by parties other than the Health Ministry.

For 2018, there were no deaths caused by HFMD or enterovirus 71 (EV71) reported in Malaysia.

In Seremban, a preschool located within a government primary school here was closed temporarily on Thursday after three children came down with HFMD.

“The preschool in SK Paroi, which has two classes, will remain closed till July 30,” state health director Dr Zainudin Mohd Ali told The Star.

This brings the number of centres closed so far to three.

From Jan 1 to July 19, about 1,350 cases have been reported in the state, compared with 563 cases during the same period last year.

Dr Zainudin said this represented an increase of 140% in the first 29 weeks of 2018 compared with the same period last year.

In Ipoh, an exco member confirmed that some kindergarten classes were temporarily closed after two or more HFMD cases were reported.

A. Sivanesan, who is in charge of Perak health, consumer affairs, civil community, national integration and human resources committee, said the state has sufficient medicine, medical staff and facilities to treat patients with HFMD.

“The classes were closed for disinfection and the details of the closures are coordinated by the Health Ministry.

“No school was told to close so far,” he said. When contacted, state Health deputy director (public health) Dr B. Venugopalan said that the HFMD occurrence in Perak followed the increased trend observed nationally.

In Kota Kinabalu, state Health and Peoples Wellbeing Minister Stephen Wong said there is no cause for alarm in Sabah.