Hong Kong: School closures due to flu

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...oses-after-flu


International kindergarten closes after flu outbreak, as government monitors two public school similarly affected
Danny Lee

At least 10 children contacted the illness at the preschool, prompting the immediate closure till next Monday
At a public kindergarten in Fanling, 24 pupils were struck down, while 21 boys at a primary school in Kowloon City took ill

PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 15 January, 2019, 10:57pm
UPDATED : Tuesday, 15 January, 2019, 10:57pm

A privately run kindergarten has been closed after a flu outbreak, while authorities were also monitoring two public schools after dozens of children were stricken with the illness.

Tsing Yi International Kindergarten, run by the privately funded English Schools Foundation (ESF), announced it would close with immediate effect until next Monday.

At least 10 children had contracted flu in the past 24 hours, prompting the drastic step to prevent the spread of illness, according to a local media report...

...At the Fanling kindergarten, 10 boys and 14 girls aged between two and six, were struck down by flu, so was a female member of staff.

Of the affected students, 23 sought medical attention after developing a fever, cough, sore throat and runny noses since January 4. Six required hospitalisation...

...In Kowloon City, 21 boys aged between six and 10 developed similar symptoms. All required medical attention but none needed hospital treatment.

As of Monday, there were 102 cases of severe influenza, 42 of them resulting in death ? all adults over the age of 50 ? in the latest seasonal flu outbreak, according to Department of Health data issued on Tuesday evening based on the previous day?s reported information.

Some 44 kindergartens and child care centres had been struck by outbreaks of influenza-like illnesses that had been reported up to Monday, sharply down on Saturday, when 87 were affected...

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...chools-hit-flu

Nearly a third of Hong Hong preschools hit by flu outbreaks, forcing seven-day closures

Kindergartens and childcare centres bear brunt of new cases
Kowloon City, Sha Tin and Tuen Mun have biggest increases over weekend, each with six more institutions hit

PUBLISHED : Monday, 21 January, 2019, 10:23pm
UPDATED : Tuesday, 22 January, 2019, 2:40am

Nearly a third of all preschool centres in Hong Kong had by Monday night reported a flu outbreak and suspended classes for a week.

That came after 67 more kindergartens and childcare centres joined the list, bringing the total amount of those affected to 301.

The new numbers from the Centre for Health Protection meant roughly 30 per cent of the city?s about 1,000 kindergartens and childcare centres were affected. The new cases were reported between 4pm on Saturday and the same time on Monday.

Health authorities first announced the week-long suspensions for outbreak-hit institutions on Friday, as a way to curb the spread of flu, meaning some affected schools began their closure from Saturday. An outbreak at a school is defined as three cases in four days...

[penguinsix]

All kindergartens now closed.

[penguinsix]

This is the official statement.

The Government announced today (January 24) that all kindergartens and kindergarten-cum-child care centres will start their Chinese New Year holidays early on Saturday (January 26) and will remain on holiday until the end of their originally scheduled Chinese New Year holidays.

The Education Bureau (EDB) has issued letters to schools to explain the measures and arrangements that should be in place during the holidays, including those relating to activities within and outside the schools, lunch arrangements and school bus services.

During the non-scheduled period of school holidays, schools should remain open. If necessary, students can go to school as usual. Schools should arrange for staff to be on duty to handle school affairs and parents' enquiries, and to look after any students who may arrive at school. Schools should clean their premises thoroughly to ensure environmental hygiene.

Parents should take measures to prevent influenza and pay attention to the health conditions of their children. Students should avoid visiting crowded places with poor ventilation. They should build up good body immunity by having a balanced diet, regular exercise and adequate rest.

The EDB will continue to keep close contact with the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health and provide support to schools when necessary.