BY NAZRINZULAIQA HASBI
KUCHING: Parents and teachers are responsible for ensuring the safety of children in nurseries or kindergartens during the current Covid-19 pandemic, stressed Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
The Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister added that honesty among the parents was also important.
She was commenting on a news report which stated that a kindergarten in Sungai Maong was ordered to close last Friday (August 13).
“Parents or family members who are confirmed Covid-19 positive must inform the nursery and kindergarten operators immediately because they are not allowed to send their children to the nurseries or kindergartens,” she explained.
Fatimah said this after presenting financial aid to fire victims at SM Min Lit, Batu Kawa on Tuesday (Aug 17).
She added that if a Covid-19 case was detected in a nursery or kindergarten, the government would immediately close the premises for disinfection work.
It might also order swab tests before allowing the nursery or kindergarten to reopen again.
“If there is a case where the parents of a child are found positive for Covid-19, then they also need to inform the ministry and the operator.
“The operator will inform us and we will close the nursery or kindergarten even if there is even only one case detected,” she explained.
Fatimah added that the opening of the nurseries or kindergartens was approved by the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) for children whose parents were frontliners or essential services workers who needed a support system while they were at work.
“However, the parents must complete their two doses of Covid-19 vaccine before they can send their children to the nurseries or kindergartens,” she said.
