KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- All schools in several districts centered around the state capital Kuching in the northern Borneo state of Sarawak will be closed for two days due to haze affecting air quality in the areas, the state education department said on Thursday.
The affected schools would conduct home-based teaching and learning during the closure to ensure students could continue their studies, the department said in a statement.
"The decision was made as a precautionary measure to protect the safety, health and wellbeing of students and school staff, particularly from the risk of exposure to unhealthy air," it said.
According to data from the Malaysian Air Pollutant Index Management System, Kuching recorded 193 points, while Serian district recorded 198, Sri Aman 178, Samarahan 178 and Sarikei 156.
According to the country's air quality rating, an API reading of zero to 50 is "good," 51 to 100 "moderate," 101 to 200 "unhealthy," 201 to 300 "very unhealthy," and 301 and above is "hazardous." ■