Five schools in the Kubang Pasu and Padang Terap districts in Kedah, which have been linked to the Sivagangga cluster, have been closed with immediate effect from yesterday until Aug 29 in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19 infection.

The state government said in a statement yesterday that the four schools in Kubang Pasu are Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Hosba, SMK Megat Dewa, Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Hosba and SK Megat Dewa; while the one in Padang Terap is SK Kubang Palas.

"All these schools will be closed for 28 days, which includes the 14-day quarantine and 14-day surveillance periods,” it said.

This was decided by the National Security Council (MKN) at a meeting with Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor today in line with the implementation of the Targeted Enhancement Movement Control Order (TEMCO) in Mukim Ah, Mukim Hosba and Mukim Binjal (Kubang Pasu) as well as Kampung Ulu Padang Sanai (Padang Terap).

"This involves controlling the public's movement over a one-kilometre radius from the affected Restoran Nasi Kandar Salleh, Napoh.

"Therefore, all teachers living in TEMCO areas are not allowed to report for work while teachers staying outside the affected areas are not permitted to go to schools situated near TEMCO areas.

"Teachers living and working outside the TEMCO areas but need to pass through the said areas can do so,” said the statement.