SEREMBAN, Aug 12 — After months of home-based learning, schools are expected to be reopened next month.

Following this, the Education Ministry has been urged to announce quickly the standard operating procedures (SOP) for face-to-face education as the daily tally of Covid-19 cases is showing a worrying increase, with the Delta and Lambda variants making a strong presence.

Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun said he supports the opening of schools but cautioned that several matters needed to be resolved to prevent the disease from spreading aggressively especially among school children.

"We all know the threat of the Delta and Lambda variants and the ministry must be prepared and come out with a clear SOP on the matter.

"What is important is school children are vaccinated first. Only then can we allow them to attend classes or have face-to-face learning sessions,” he told reporters after the launch of the state-level National Month and Fly the Jalur Gemilang campaign.

Last July 17, the Education Ministry announced in a statement that schools will be reopened in stages beginning September 1, while home-based teaching and learning PdPR classes to continue until August 31.

Meanwhile, Aminuddin also said 653,938 or 80.3 per cent of adults in Negri Sembilan had already received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, while another 441,798 (54.25 per cent) had completed their Covid-19 vaccination as of last Tuesday.

Negri Sembilan recorded its highest new Covid-19 cases at 1,015 yesterday while the accumulated cases now stand at 81,571 cases. — Bernama