Kindergartens To Shut Over Respiratory Infections

The government has ordered a two-week suspension of face-to-face teaching at all kindergartens and daycare centres from Saturday, amid an outbreak of upper respiratory tract infections.

Health Secretary Sophia Chan said Hong Kong has recently seen around 170 outbreaks involving some 1,900 people and 60 percent of the outbreaks involve kindergartens and daycare centres.

"Young children that attend kindergartens and these care centres are very small. In spite of all the measures we have put in place, the personal hygiene, mask wearing, etc, we notice these outbreak reports. We think it’s very worrying," she said.

Chan said the closures could be extended if the situation doesn’t improve.

Officials added that they are monitoring the situation in primary schools, but said any outbreaks would be easier to manage because they would likely be confined to an individual class, rather than the whole school.

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