Daycare centres allowed to operate, must ensure social distancing
Editor's note: This article has been revised following the issuance today (May 2, 2020) of the National Security Council guidelines for daycare centres.
CORONAVIRUS | Daycare centres are among the businesses that will be allowed to operate beginning May 4 with strict rules in place, including social distancing for children and conducting two disinfections daily....
Editor's note: This article has been revised following the issuance today (May 2, 2020) of the National Security Council guidelines for daycare centres.
CORONAVIRUS | Daycare centres are among the businesses that will be allowed to operate beginning May 4 with strict rules in place, including social distancing for children and conducting two disinfections daily.
According to the guidelines issued by the National Security Council (NSC), all staff must wear masks, and anyone entering daycare centres must have their temperatures recorded.
Anyone with a temperature of 37.5°C and above will not be allowed on the premises.
All staff must also be trained in hygiene and safety. Daycare operators must also supply hand sanitiser on the premises.
"(Operators) must ensure best practices in terms of social distancing and place 1m markers on the floor, especially in dining and sleeping areas," said the NSC.
All parents and staff must fill in a form to declare the state of their health before the daycare centre is allowed to operate.
Daycare centres are also instructed to inform parents that they must bathe their children before sending them to the centre and avoid direct contact with the elderly.
Upon detecting any staff with Covid-19 symptoms, daycare operators must remove the affected person from the premises.
In the event a Covid-19 infection is confirmed, the daycare centre must be closed immediately and the nearest Health Department informed before conducting disinfection works.
Daycare centres will only be allowed to handle clients for eight hours while centres in enhanced movement control order (MCO) areas are not allowed to operate.
PM's suggestion
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin urged employers to devise methods that would allow staff with children to work on alternate days to avoid having to rely on childcare centres in the near future.
In his special public address, Muhyiddin (above) said ideally, only those who have no choice should send their children to such centres.
"Although childcare centres will be opened with new health standard operating procedures (SOPs), I know a lot of parents are worried about sending their children (there).
"If employers provide the flexibility for working parents to be in the workplace on alternate days, this can help solve problems with childcare.
"Indirectly, this will reduce the number of children in childcare centres and make it easier for caregivers to follow the guidelines," he said.
As for schools, which are not allowed to reopen on Monday, the NSC guidelines suggested that only students sitting for SPM, SVM, STPM and STAM examinations would be allowed back to school in the near future while school hours will be limited to 7am until 2pm.
When schools are reopened, schools must ensure social distancing of at least 1m, the temperature of all staff and students are recorded, while mandating the use of hand sanitisers or frequent hand washing.
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