Daycares in Alberta are currently open only to the children of essential workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and so far no positive cases of the virus have been reported.
Lauren Armstrong, spokesperson for the Office of the Minister of Children’s Services, said the guidelines for the centres likely played a role in keeping the daycares virus-free. Those previously released guidelines included temperate checks at drop off, rules of sanitization and an occupancy limit.
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The news comes the week after the province released its relaunch strategy, which includes the re-opening of daycares and out-of-school care as early as May 14, though there would be limits on occupancy.
READ MORE: Coronavirus: Alberta phased relaunch strategy will see some restrictions eased Friday
Armstrong said the daycares currently open adjusted to the new normal, including implementing physical distancing, regular sanitization of toys and equipment as well as halting food services.
“We will apply lessons learned to our plan for re-opening child care programs,” Armstrong said in a statement.
Armstrong said the child care programs for essential workers had a relatively low occupancy rate of 20 per cent, as of May 4, with 803 children among 4,008 spaces.
Guidelines are expected to be rolled out in the coming days for daycare operators, including clarity on occupancy limits, ratios (such as staff to children, depending on age and whether children of different ages can be in the same room) as well as whether out-of-school care centres within schools and churches can open, according to Armstrong.
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