The parents of an elementary-school student could be fined up to NT$300,000 for failing to report their child had been diagnosed with an enterovirus infection, affecting 11 students in Kaohsiung’s Gushan District (鼓山), the city’s Department of Health said today.
Enterovirus is a highly contagious group of viruses that spread through the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts and can cause cold or flu-like symptoms as well as digestive issues.
The department on Tuesday and Wednesday received reports that students from an elementary school in Gushan began showing symptoms including fever, sore throat and rashes on Saturday last week, it said in a news release.
Photo courtesy of the Taoyuan Department of Public Health
As of yesterday, a total of 11 students from four classes — two fifth-grade classes, one third-grade class and one second-grade class — had developed symptoms, it said.
After receiving medical treatment, the students were diagnosed with suspected enterovirus and sent home to rest, the department said.
The school reported the situation in accordance with regulations, and a local health center has cleaned and disinfected the school, the department said.
One fifth grader started showing symptoms on Monday last week and was diagnosed with suspected enterovirus after seeing the doctor on Wednesday last week, it said.
This student was likely the first case, and their classmates began showing symptoms on Saturday last week, it added.
Other parents alleged that the student continued to attend school until Monday, as their parents, who have a medical background, concealed the illness.
The student’s parents failed to proactively notify the school about the diagnosis, and the student’s sibling, a third grader at the same school, developed a rash while at school on Monday, the department said.
The school nurse immediately notified the parents, and the two siblings were sent home to rest starting that day, the department said.
The parents evaded questions and did not provide truthful information when the department contacted them yesterday, it said.
They would be fined NT$60,000 to NT$300,000 according to the Communicable Disease Control Act (傳染病防治法), it added.
Additional reporting by Hsu Li-chuan
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