I AM shocked at Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan's announcement, reported yesterday ("Back to school next week"), to reopen schools as scheduled.

The Ministry of Health (MOH), has been doing a good job of preventing the spread of H1N1 so far, so its decision to reopen schools has surprised many.

The spread of H1N1 in the local community is accelerating and it will worsen as families return from overseas. Yet, MOH is keen for Singaporeans to carry on with their lives normally. This approach to reduce panic has possible dire consequences.

H1N1 has been found to be more common among those under the age of 20. Reopening schools just when the virus is spreading rapidly in the community would greatly accelerate the rate of transmission, especially if students are more susceptible.

Furthermore, as students are involved in a wide range of activities outside of school, they could accelerate the spread of the virus in the community.

My questions for MOH:

1. Will the ministry put those more susceptible to the virus at risk, by potentially allowing a greater and more rapid spread of H1N1?

2. What is preventing MOH from closing schools for an additional week? Wouldn't such a measure have more pros than cons? A closure would be containment at its most efficient, reducing the strain on our resources from testing and contact tracing of hundreds of students.

Hong Wai Fung(Ms)