Yangon – The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement has presented its plan to the government to temporarily close public and private nursery schools to address a possible coronavirus outbreak, director-general Dr. San San Aye of the ministry told The Irrawaddy.
The move came after the Ministry of Health and Sports advised against public gatherings as a preventive measure against the virus.
“We have submitted the plan. But we don’t know yet how long the closure will last. The government will announce its decision,” she said.
According to the ministry, there are 138 nursery schools operated by the Social Welfare Department and 944 private nurseries registered with the ministry.
A Nobel Kid Nursery School staff member in Yangon South Dagon Township spoke on the condition of anonymity to say some parents were already keeping their children away.
“We will stay open until an order is issued as we have taken the fees for this month,” she said.
“We heard nursery schools will be closed from March 17 to April 30,” she added.
The health ministry has ordered that cinemas across the country must close until April 30.
The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic last week.
The death toll from coronavirus outbreak reached over 6,500 on Monday (March 16) with more than 170,000 confirmed cases reported worldwide since December.
Outside China, the outbreak has been deadliest in Italy with over 1,800 deaths, while Iran, Spain and France have reported over 700, 290 and 120 deaths, respectively. No confirmed case has been reported in Myanmar.
Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko
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