By : Jason Gerald John

MALACCA: The Health Ministry has extended until Sunday the quarantine period of the 80 trainees at the Road Transport Department Academy in Tiang Dua . The period beginning May 7, was to end today.

The extension was to give time to the Microbiology Lab in Sungai Buloh to identify the exact type of bacteria -- gram negative diplococci -- which caused the bacterial meningitis outbreak.

State Women's Affairs, Family Development and Health committee deputy chairman Chua Kheng Hwa said the decision was also to prevent further complications to the trainees and any possible infection to people coming into contact with them once the quarantine was lifted.

"I was informed by Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai that the lab had yet to identify the exact type of bacteria which caused the outbreak.

"This is a preventive measure. The trainees will be released once the results are obtained from the ministry, which is expected in the next few days," he said after a dialogue with the parent-teacher association (PTA) of SJK (C) Tiang Dua here yesterday.

Also present were Bukit Katil MP Datuk Mat Sirat Abu and state health director Dr Ghazali Othman.

Chua also said teachers and students could continue to wear masks if they wanted to.

The Education Ministry, on Tuesday, issued a notice to the school that it was not necessary for the teachers and students to wear masks as the Health Ministry had stated the bacterial meningitis was not airborne and that the distance between the school and academy was not close enough to warrant masks to be worn.

The school is 2km from the academy. Parents, teachers and students objected and 35 students did not attend school yesterday.

"They can continue to wear masks. It is up to them," said Chua.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam also visited the school and assured teachers and students that the outbreak was under control.