Penang hopes Aidilfitri holidays breaks COVID-19 transmission in school

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government hopes that the school holidays during the Aidilfitri period will break the COVID-19 transmissions in schools.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said he was informed by the Penang Education Department that eight schools in Penang were closed down today due to reported COVID-19 cases there.

"There will be a (holiday) break during Hari Raya Aidilfitri, followed by mid-year school holidays until mid-June and we hope that during the holiday period, we would break the COVID-19 transmission chain in all schools," he told reporters here.

He also said that based on the latest state health department's report, the transmission of COVID-19 virus in school most likely sourced from the parents of the students.

"The parents are most likely infected from their workplaces and have carried the virus to their children.

"We hope that as we continue to strictly abide by the standard operating procedures (SOP), we can break the transmission chain and prevent students from infection," he added.

-- BERNAMA