On 4 April 2020, a teaching staff at Little Gems Preschool Pte Ltd tested positive for COVID-19. She was last in the Centre on Tuesday, 31March 2020. As a precautionary measure, the Early Childhood Development Agency(ECDA) had directed that the Centre be temporarily closed from 5 April 2020 to14 April 2020. This covers the 14-day incubation period as thestaff was last in the Centre on 31 March 2020.All children and staff in the Centre were alsoplaced on LOA. Children and staff who have been in close contact with theconfirmed cases have been placed on home quarantine.
2 On 5 April 2020, a relief teacher of the Centre was testedpositive for COVID-19. The teacher waslast in the Centre on 31 March 2020. Shehad cleared the health checks and was well when she ended her shift.
3 Today, MOH has announced that a 2-year old child testedpositive for COVID-19. Her last day in school was 3 April 2020. She had clearedthe health checks and was well throughout her full-day in preschool. She developedsymptoms on the following day, 4 April 2020.
4 In view of the above, ECDA has extended the closure of theCentre to 17 April 2020. This is to cover the 14-day incubation period as the childwas last in the Centre on 3 April 2020. Barringany further developments, the Centre will resume limited service operations onSaturday, 18 April 2020, unless otherwise advised, to serve the limited groupof parents who are working in essential services and are unable to extend theiralternative care arrangements beyond the closure period.
5 ECDA will continue to monitor the situation closely, and workwith the management, staff, parents and children at the Centre to ensure thesafety and wellbeing of all.
6 All preschools are reminded to be vigilant when conductinghealth checks, and to observe high standards of personal and environmentalhygiene. This includes keeping the centre environment clean, and frequentwashing of hands with soap – especially before eating or handling food, aftertoilet visits, or when hands are dirtied by respiratory secretions aftercoughing or sneezing.
7 The precautionary measures that have been put in place inpreschools are only effective if the preschool community work together andexercise social responsibility. All preschoolstaff and children who are unwell (i.e. have fever and/or flu-like symptomssuch as runny nose, cough, shortness of breath) should seek immediate medicalattention and return to school only when fully recovered.