Sars: 200 000 students return

2003-04-14 12:21

Singapore - More than 200 000 secondary school students in Singapore returned to their classes on Monday after an 18-day shutdown to contain the spread of the Sars virus, but only after facing stringent screening measures.

Some schools had teachers stationed outside the premises to spot students who were visibly ill.

Those who had a fever - an initial symptom of severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) - were to be sent home immediately.

Others set up temperature-monitoring stations, manned by teachers wearing surgical masks and gloves.

Pei Cai Secondary School was just one example, with teachers garbed in medical masks, gloves and gowns scrutinising returning students.

A spokesperson said: "It was very smooth today. We had teachers stationed outside taking temperatures of students coming to school.

"All the teachers were involved, and they were equipped with the masks, gloves and the gowns," he said.

"We can't really tell you how many students were sent back, but it wasn't that many."

Drastic measure to counter Sars

All students returning to school carried health declaration forms mailed to their homes earlier, asking if they had travelled to areas listed by the World Health Organisation as Sars hotspots - China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Taiwan and Toronto.

The students and their parents were also asked if they had travelled outside Singapore at any time since the mandatory school break was imposed on March 27.

School authorities in the city-state suspended all classes up to pre-university level in an extraordinary measure aimed at containing the spread of the pneumonia-like Sars virus, which has already killed at least 10 people in Singapore from a total of more than 150 infections.

Students from junior colleges returned to their classes last week and primary schools will reopen on Wednesday.

At Gan Eng Seng secondary school, parents were briefed last week about the measures taken to allay health fears.

All visitors, including parents, will be screened by taking their temperature and quizzing them on their travel history.

School authorities and student leaders were told to report as early as 06:30 to help filter out those who looked unwell. Any student with a temperature of more than 37.5°C was to be sent home.

An isolation room had also been set aside. The principal or vice-principal had the right to call an ambulance to take a sick student to Tan Tock Seng Hospital - the Sars designated treatment centre - if his or her parents could not be contacted, parents were told.

Small number sent home

Toilets were cleaned and vendors at the school canteen were briefed on good hygiene practices such as wearing masks and disposable gloves when preparing food.

"I feel like it's a huge military operation," said the mother of a 13-year-old boy.

"I have a good level of confidence in the school. I'm quite sure that they are very well prepared," she said.

Yeo Kueng Heng, vice-principal at Siglap Secondary School, said attendance was high and no students came to class with masks on.

"Today we had a small number of students who were sent home, but there were (also) parents asking that students be excused from school," said Yeo.

A team of teachers was also designated to take the temperature of students.

Yeo said: "We want to send the message here that the school environment is safe, safer than the shopping malls and public places."

"This is because we have worked tirelessly to make sure the school has been properly disinfected, and this will continue to be the case now that school has started," he said.

- AFX