The number of new cases between Saturday and 3pm on Thursday was 880, bringing the year's total to 8,440.

At the 17 pre-schools and childcare centres ordered to close or voluntarily shut for 10 days by the MOH, teachers, principals, caregivers and administrative staff rolled up their sleeves on Thursday and spent the day disinfecting toys and their premises.

PCF Tampines East called in professionals to service the airconditioners and fumigate the premises. Cleaning will continue throughout the 10-day period.

'We are making sure that every single corner of the centre is clean,' said Mr Benny Yeo, the centre's general manager.

St Andrew's Cathedral Child Development Centre supervisor Adrienne Soon said besides having her staff of 14 coming back daily to scrub and clean the premises, professionals will also be coming in next Monday to make sure 'every spot is sanitised'.

Another 46 children were reported to have have caught HFMD on Thursday.

What is worrying is the re-emergence of the potentially deadly enterovirus 71 (EV71) strain that killed seven children here during the 2000/2001 outbreak.

Checks show that this strain caused 19 per cent of the cases this year.

Read the full story in Friday's edition of The Straits Times.