KUALA LUMPUR: Sekolah Seri Puteri in Cyberjaya has been ordered to close temporarily following 135 new positive COVID-19 cases involving the school, said Health director-general, Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said the order was issued under Section 18 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act1988 (Act 342) for sanitisation and disinfection.

"The COVID-19 cluster involving Sekolah Seri Puteri, Cyberjaya was named Persiaran Tasik Cluster," he said in a statement on the development of COVID-19 here today.

Noor Hisham said as at today, 973 school residents had been screened and 135 new cases were detected in the cluster bringing the overall COVID-19 cases in the cluster to 143 people comprising 114 students 19 teachers and 10 school employees.

Health Minister Kesihatan, Khairy Jamaluddin yesterday announced 73 new cases involving two teachers and 71 students.

"A briefing for the Parent-Teacher Association of the school was held. Continuous monitoring would go on to ensure the cluster is contained," he said.

He said from the 143 COVID-19 positive cases, 106 cases were in category one while 35 cases were in category 2A and two cases in category 2B ( one teacher and student) and all are in stable condition.

"All infected students and a teacher were admitted into MAEPS for further treatment and monitoring," he said.

Meanwhile, Noor Hisham said 700 close contacts comprising 603 students, 59 teachers and 38 staff were identified as close contacts among the students who were admitted to the quarantine station in Institute Aminuddin Baki and the Islamic Training Institute of Malaysia.

Meanwhile, close contacts among teachers and staff were quarantined in their respective homes, he said.

-- BERNAMA