Schools In Sarawak Advised To Reduce Outdoor Activities Due To Haze, Hot Weather

KUCHING, July 29 (Bernama) -- Schools in Sarawak have been advised to reduce outdoor activities to avoid the risk of students developing health issues related to the ongoing haze and hot weather conditions.

State Women, Children and Community Wellbeing Minister (KPWK) Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said that if there is a need to conduct extracurricular activities involving students, they should be held indoors to avoid exposure to the unhealthy air quality.

“It is common practice during hazy conditions to avoid outdoor activities. The current air quality is not safe due to the haze,” she told reporters after the Petronas Empowering Knowledge 2025 Education Sponsorship Award ceremony today.

 She emphasised that co-curricular and sports programmes should preferably be conducted indoors, particularly to safeguard students who suffer from respiratory conditions such as asthma.

She advised the public, especially schoolchildren, to resume the use of face masks as a preventive measure against the adverse effects of the haze.

“Children with asthma need special attention, and we strongly encourage them to wear face masks as a precaution,” she said.

She added that schools have been instructed to continuously monitor the Air Pollution Index (API) readings and take appropriate action based on the latest data.

Meanwhile, it is reported that air quality in Sarawak remained at moderate levels across all 18 monitoring stations this morning, according to the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB).

As of 8 am, Lundu recorded the highest API reading at 88, up from 79 at 4 pm yesterday. Kuching maintained a reading of 74, unchanged from the same time the previous day.

-- BERNAMA