SINGAPORE - A teacher at a PAP Community Foundation (PCF) Sparkletots centre tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday (March 23).
According to an e-mail circular sent to parents from the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), the pre-school at Block 126 Fengshan is closed on Tuesday for thorough cleaning and disinfection of its premises, as an added precautionary measure.
The Health Ministry is conducting contact tracing, and barring further developments, classes and programmes will resume on Wednesday.
According to the circular seen by The Straits Times, the Nursery Two teacher was last in school on Wednesday last week and was well then.
She had been on leave from last Wednesday to Friday, although she came in for a few hours on Wednesday afternoon to attend to some work.
She developed onset of symptoms on Friday and went to see a doctor.
In the e-mail sent to parents on Monday, ECDA chief licensing officer Jamie Ang said the pre-school had implemented precautionary measures over the past month, including increasing the frequency of temperature screening, ensuring personal and environmental hygiene practices among children and staff, restricting visitors, and suspending large group activities.
As the teacher's last contact with the pre-school was two days before the onset of symptoms and she was well then at the centre, there is no need to close the centre for 14 days based on current available facts, said Ms Ang.
Ms Marini Khamis, senior director of PCF’s pre-school management division, said the teacher attended to some work last Wednesday which did not involve conducting lessons for children.
The teacher had cleared the necessary health checks and temperature taking that day before entering the centre.
In response to queries, Ms Marini said that parents of children at the centre have been informed through telephone calls from staff and teachers, and through PCF’s parent engagement portal.
Parents are also advised to closely monitor their children’s health and take them to a doctor if they are unwell.
She added: “Since January 2020, PCF Sparkletots has been in strict compliance with the Covid-19 precautionary measures outlined by ECDA.
“We have aligned our measures with ECDA’s directives and remain prepared to step up these measures as and when needed.”
These measures include conducting health and temperature checks three times a day, regular cleaning and sanitising frequently touched surfaces, toys and shared items, as well as practising good personal hygiene such as handwashing.
“We have suspended all non-essential visits to our centres during this period to minimise the risk of community transmission.
“Large group activities and excursions have also been suspended to minimise exposure of children and staff to large crowds,” said Ms Marini.
Staff at all its pre-schools islandwide will also continue to be on the alert for Covid-19 symptoms, she added.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
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