It refuted claims that the instruction was the department’s directive,” he said in a statement last night.

He was commenting on social media postings on a student at the school whose parent was diagnosed Covid-19 positive.

According to the postings, the school authorities had stopped classes and prohibited its students from entering the school.

“The school authorities have been receiving unverified information from other sources and are taking preventive measures on its own accord,” he said.

Aman said the student is linked to a patient being treated in Singapore since Feb 10.

“The Johor Health Department is conducting contact tracing of the Covid-19 case, including taking preventive measures at the family’s residence. Three close contacts have been identified including the patient’s wife and two children, aged six and eight,” he said.

The two children were tested negative but are still placed under isolation for being positive-case contacts while the condition of the patient’s wife is still being investigated by the hospital.