All Kindergartens Told To Close Early To Curb Flu

The government said on Thursday that all of the city's hundreds of kindergartens and childcare centres should bring forward their Lunar New Year holidays to Saturday – a week ahead of schedule – to help prevent the further spread of flu.

More than 370 kindergartens and childcare centres had already suspended classes for a week following flu outbreaks.

The Health Secretary Sophia Chan made the announcement after holding an inter-departmental meeting on the current flu situation.

She said the decision was made after considering "a basket of factors", including the latest flu figures, as well as the admission and occupancy rates at the paediatric wards of public hospitals.

The head of the Centre for Health Protection, Dr Wong Ka-hing, meanwhile, said the flu outbreak among children this year is "very serious" compared to the past couple of years.

He added that it's hard to tell at the moment whether the flu season has reached its peak.

Last year, primary schools also had to close early ahead of the New Year holiday because of flu outbreaks. But Dr Wong says primaries aren't so badly affected this time around.

DAB councillor Ann Chiang said her party supported the early closure decision. But with some children in hospital due to flu complications, she said the government should also consider shutting primary schools early if the situation worsens.

The Democratic Party also said it welcomed the government's move. But party lawmaker Ted Hui said officials should work to avoid having to shut pre-schools every winter flu season, and they should provide nasal spray vaccinations for all students.

Kindergartens, childcare centres and primary schools also closed early ahead of last year's New Year holiday because of flu outbreaks.