Covid-19: Religious schools in Senawang, Port Dickson ordered close

SEREMBAN: Thirty-three students at Sekolah Tinggi Islam As-Sofa in Senawang near here have tested positive for Covid-19, says its board of governors chairman Abdullah Abdol Razak.

He said the students and teachers at the school went for screening after one student tested positive.

"The management of the school took prompt action by not allowing anyone to leave or enter the school the moment we knew we had a positive case," he said in a Facebook post.

Earlier on Thursday (Oct 22), a message had gone viral on social media, saying that 33 students in the school had tested positive for the virus.

It said that after the first case was detected on Oct 20, the students and teachers were made to undergo screening.

Abdullah said some of the students and teachers were still waiting for their results.

"They are all in quarantine," he said, adding that the school had also been sanitised.

When contacted earlier, state health committee chairman S. Veerapan said the authorities were still finalising the number of positive cases at the school.

"I have been made to understand that the number of cases there are lower.

"But, let's wait for the Health director-general to announce the exact number later on Thursday (Oct 22)," he said.

The school has also been ordered closed for two weeks.

It was learnt that the affected students were sent to Rembau Hospital.

Another religious school, Sekolah Agama Rakyat An Nur in Bandar Springhill, Port Dickson, was also asked to close after a Covid-19 case was detected.

It has been asked to remain closed for one week.

The state Islamic Affairs Department has sent a letter to the school authorities informing it of the decision. Despite the closure, teachers are to continue providing online lessons.