Taking into account the incubation period of four to five days, the peaking was due chiefly to children who had contracted the disease a few days earlier. By Oct 7, the numbers were down by half. But it was only when they fell to about a quarter that the task force, which held continuous meetings to assess the situation, could breathe easy. By Nov 1, a month after the closure, there were fewer than 10 cases per day. A total of 2,198 cases were reported between Oct 1 and Oct 20.
Major outbreaks occur once every few years.
THE initial reaction to the closure of kindergartens and child-care centreswas mainly negative. She could not take leave because the hospital department where she worked was under-staffed. And her husband would have lost pay by remaining at home. Eventually the couple left their son with his paternal grandmother in Telok Kurau - which was not such a good idea because the old woman was in poor health. But as parents and employers came to understand the rationale behind the closure, they adapted quickly, coming up with contingency plans for child-care arrangements.