Ministry to gauge how schools are faring over the weekend

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali says the government will assess the effectiveness of the standard operating procedure (SOP) in schools over the weekend.

“These three days (are crucial) as the ministry will evaluate whether the SOP should be changed and made stricter or if the current one is good enough.

“From there, the government will decide when other students should return to school,” he said in a press conference at SMK Putrajaya Presint 11(1) after visiting the school during recess.

If Covid-19 cases are detected in schools, he said the ministry might decide to temporarily close the affected school.

Students or school personnel who test positive would be sent to the hospital for treatment, he added.

“Screenings will be done for those who came in close contact with the people affected, whether in school or at home.

“If there are (more) cases, we might even have an enhanced movement control order (MCO),” he said.

Twenty-two police officers from the Putrajaya district police headquarters, who are also school liaison officers for 11 secondary schools here, have been assigned to monitor and ensure compliance of the schools to the SOP under the recovery MCO.

Putrajaya district police chief ACP Mohd Fadzil Ali said two policemen would be at each school from 7.30am to 2pm every Monday throughout the recovery MCO period, he said after visiting SMK Putrajaya Presint 8 (1) here yesterday.

According to Bernama, ACP Mohd Fadzil said no reports were received on SOP violations at the schools so far.

In George Town, police chief Comm Datuk Sahabudin Abd Manan said the army and police were part of the monitoring team that accompanied Penang Education director Abdul Rashid Abdul Samad in his visit to the school.

Asked why army personnel were carrying rifles while on duty in the school compound, Comm Sahabudin said it was part of the SOP.