Nurseries, kindies provide essential service, says Fatimah on permission to operate in Covid-19 red zone

Fatimah (standing, second left) and her assistant minister, Datuk Rosey Yunus (standing, left) observe activity at a nursery in Kuching today. – Photo by Mohd Rais Sanusi

KUCHING (Nov 25): The Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Ministry will closely monitor nurseries and kindergartens, especially those allowed to operate in the Covid-19 red zone here, to ensure all standard operating procedures (SOPs) are followed at all times.

Its minister, Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, said nurseries and kindergartens were allowed to operate as they were an essential service for working parents.

“Some people asked why nurseries and kindergartens are allowed to open in the red zone, this is because it is essential service.

“Some children have both parents as frontliners and there is no one to take care of them, and some parents need the service as they are both working to generate income and support the family,” she said when inspecting a privately owned nursery here today.

She said the ministry would ensure parents filled the daily health declaration forms and children’s temperature were checked before they were allowed to enter a center.

Fatimah added that the monitoring would ensure that the children were taken care in a safe environment with physical distancing when eating and sleeping, and toys and other equipment were sanitised frequently.

So far, she said she was satisfied with the operators for doing their best to ensure the children under their care were safe.

At the same time, Fatimah reminded parents and family members to adhere to the SOPs when they go out so that they do not put children at risk.

In red zone Kuching, 160 nurseries and kindergartens with 1,770 children are operating; while in yellow zone Miri and Limbang, there are 62 with 1,498, and green zones with 108 centres and 2,245 children.

There are some more that would reopen next week, Fatimah said.

The Health Ministry categorises districts with 40 Covid-19 cases and more in a two-week period as red zones, less than 40 as yellow zones and those with no cases as green zones. Sarawak has a total of 40 districts.

Fatimah also pointed out that the childcare business was not like others as it was more than providing a service but a passion for operators.

“This is not a big profit making business. How they guide the children, they are very passionate about their job and they can guide the children with full of love and care. The service they provide benefits the public like doctors, certain sectors and this service is an important support service to these parents.”

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