Hong Kong parents take children to school despite classes being cancelled amid flu fears
Some complain Education Bureau announcement a day earlier gave too little notice for them to make alternative arrangements
Many working parents had no option but to take their children to school on Thursday, despite classes having been cancelled at Hong Kong’s kindergartens and primary schoolsto curb the spread of flu.
All 1,600 kindergartens, primary schools and special needs schools in Hong Kong were ordered to close from Thursday, though the bureau asked schools to remain open to cater for children in need of care.
The government has said the early holiday was intended to stop transmission of the viral infection in the midst of a harsh winter flu season that has hit children hard.
Latest data from the Centre for Health Protection released Thursday showed between January 7 when the season began and Wednesday , there were 421 flu outbreaks at institutions in the city affecting 2,740 people mostly children. Of these outbreaks, 82.7 per cent (348) were in kindergartens and primary schools.
So far 13 children have been hit by severe flu requiring hospital admission, and two of them have died.