40,000 face masks for city’s schools
KUCHING: Some 600 face masks were distributed to students and staff members of SJK Chung Hua No. 1 yesterday by Padungan assemblyman Wong King Wei in the wake of the recent coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China.
He said that the usage of these face masks was important as schools were crowded places and children generally had lower immunity against diseases compared to adults.
“We have prepared 40,000 face masks to be given out to all the schools in our area for students and staff members,” he told reporters after distributing the face masks yesterday.
He said there were an estimated 30 schools in Bandar Kuching area including those in Padungan and Batu Lintang.
“Today we are starting with SJK Chung Hua No. 1, and later SK Lumba Kuda. Tomorrow, we are going to Ong Tiang Swee, Bintawa, SJK Chung Hua No. 3, and so on to try to distribute the face masks within these few days,” he said.
For this first batch, he said the face masks would be distributed to primary schools due to the limited supply.
According to Wong, RM16,000 had been spent for this endeavour. He said that this was the controlled price and he advised retailers and clinics to abide by the regulated price strictly.
He pointed out that schools required students to bring their own face masks, but the market was experiencing a stock shortage.
He expressed appreciation for the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs for their assistance in sourcing face masks from within and outside the country.
“Thus, we were able to obtain the face masks for wider distribution to students and teachers,” he said, hopeful that awareness of self-protection could start in school during this crucial time.
Meanwhile, Chung Hua Primary Schools No. 1 to 6 management board secretary general, Rodger Chan, expressed his gratitude for the efforts as the board was facing difficulties in sourcing face masks.
“This came at the most appropriate and critical time,” he said.
He said the school board had purchased hand sanitizers as well as thermometers to monitor the temperature of students.
“We hope to raise awareness among the students, and they in turn can bring home the message about the importance of maintaining cleanliness and health to their families,” he said.
Chan also voiced his appreciation for the Education Ministry for coming up with standard operating procedures (SOP) on safety measures to take during this time.
Also present was SJK Chung Hua No. 1 principal Lee Mui Huat.
