Hong Kong primary schools and kindergartens to close on Thursday for early Lunar New Year holiday amid flu outbreak
City leader Carrie Lam says decision intended to ‘cut off the chain of infection’, but many parents upset at surprise announcement
All 1,600 kindergartens, primary schools and special needs schools in Hong Kong will close from Thursday in a rare move bringing forward their Lunar New Year holiday to stem the city’s flu outbreak.
The sudden announcement on Wednesday, after a cross-departmental meeting, left many parents unhappy about not having enough time to make alternative childcare arrangements.
“Schools and parents felt the announcement was made in a very hurried manner, and they did not know how to handle it,” Ip Kin-yuen, who represents the education sector in the city’s legislature, said.
The Education Bureau, under the advice of health experts, announced the closures on Wednesday, just days ahead of the festive break, which runs from February 16 to 19.
“After considering opinions and recommendations from experts, [the government] decided the Lunar New Year holiday will start earlier in kindergartens and primary schools,” Dr Wong Ka-hing, controller for the Centre for Health Protection, said.
