KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 — The Education Ministry has advised all educational activities and programmes involving the gathering of people be postponed following the Covid-19 outbreak.

These included sports programmes and co-curricular activities, official school gatherings, festival celebrations, training programmes, meetings, conferences, colloquiums, camps, seminars, courses, Parent-Teacher Association annual general meetings, Teachers’ Day and others.

The Health Ministry had issued a letter to this effect, and signed by Education Ministry deputy director general (school operaton sector) Adzman Talib, yesterday.

However, if such activities cannot be avoided, then precautionary steps must be taken, it said.

The Education Ministry also issued another letter on the same date regarding the standard operating procedures (SOP) for the prevention of Covid-19 in schools under the ministry, and one of the steps stated that schools can only be closed after the principals have sought the advice of the State Health Department and District Health Office. — Bernama