Rise in Malaysian school clusters due to violations of Covid-19 rules

Govt hopes roll-out of vaccine for kids aged 5 to 11 from Feb 3 will ease situation

- Hazlin Hassan

The number of Covid-19 clusters in Malaysia’s educational institutions has been rising sharply since schools reopened, as the authorities prepare to roll out vaccinations for children amid parental concerns.

Non-compliance with Covid-19 rules such as mask wearing and physical distancing was the main factor behind the surge in cases, particularly in boarding schools, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Teachers with Covid-19 symptoms still turned up in class, increasing the rate of infection, he added.

Health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah said the Health Ministry detected 62 new clusters in educational institutions last week, up from 15 the week before. A number of schools in states such as Johor, Kedah and Melaka have been closed due to cases.

The authorities hope the situation may be mitigated after Malaysia rolls out the Covid-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11 from Feb 3, but some parents are worried about potential side effects.

Mr Khairy said last week that a ministry survey found that less than 60 per cent of parents agreed to vaccinate their children.

His press conference, which was aired live on social media, drew many comments from parents who said they would not send their children for vaccination and asked when he would vaccinate his own.

Facebook user Siti Norhasmah wrote: “Show the live telecast to the whole of Malaysia of your children and grandchildren being vaccinated.”