School reopens but parents keep children at home

GEORGE TOWN: Since her daughter’s school was closed last week, Juheni Kamma, 40, has used eight litres of bleach to sanitise her home and keep the hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) virus at bay.

“We dilute it and wipe and mop the house many times a day.

“I even wash the corridors of my apartment and when we use the lift, I spray the buttons with a sanitiser first,” she said.

Before her daughter’s school near Pulau Tikus was ordered to close for 10 days last week, Juheni said three classmates of her Year One daughter caught the HFMD.

“After the school was closed, two more got it. We parents are all in a WhatsApp group and keep in close contact, so we know,” she said.

The school has now reopened, but Juheni said several parents had decided to keep their children away from school until they were sure that it was safe.

“I sent my daughter to school when it reopened but with so many of my friends keeping their children away, I think I will do the same.

“I don’t want my daughter to contract HFMD,” she said yesterday.

While school attendance seems to be affected in Penang, tourism was unaffected.

Malaysian Association of Hotels Penang chairman Khoo Boo Lim said no hotels had recorded any sudden room cancellations. “Room occupancies remain stable.”

A hotel manager in Batu Ferringhi said travel agents were aware of the situation and had asked him about the situation but room reservations were still unchanged.