1 The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) was informed on 23 March 2020 that a Nursery 2 teacher at PCF Sparkletots @ Fengshan Blk 126 ("the Centre") tested positive for COVID-19. She was last in the preschool onWednesday, 18 March 2020.
2 As the teacher's last contact with the Centre was two days before the onset of symptoms and she was well in Centre, ECDA and the Ministry of Health (MOH) had earlier assessed that the available facts did not allow us to close the Centre for 14 days. As an added precautionary measure, the Centre was closed for one day (24 March 2020) to conduct a thorough cleaning and disinfection of the Centre premises. Contact tracing by MOH was also ongoing.
3 Today, ECDA and MOH have found a few staff reporting that they recently became unwell, and are undergoing tests for COVID-19. In light of these new developments, the ECDA has ordered the temporary closure of the Centre from Tuesday, 24 March 2020 to Tuesday, 7 April 2020. In addition, all preschool staff and children will be placed on a Quarantine Order, which will be issued by MOH. The preschool will resume programmes on Wednesday, 8 April 2020. Contact tracing is ongoing.
4 The Centre has conducted a thorough cleaning and disinfection of the preschool premises, and is closely monitoring its staff and parents on the health of their children. This is in addition to earlier precautionary measures that were implemented in accordance to MOH's and ECDA's guidelines. These include restriction of visitors, suspension of large group and communal activities as well as excursions and field trips, health checks and stepped up temperature screening for all children and staff.
5 ECDA will continue to monitor the situation closely, and work with the management, staff, parents and children at PCF Sparkletots Preschool @Fengshan Blk 126 to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all. Preschools are reminded to be vigilant when conducting health checks, and to observe high standards of personal and environmental hygiene. This includes keeping the centre environment clean, and frequent washing of hands with soap - especially before eating or handling food, after toilet visits, or when hands are dirtied by respiratory secretions after coughing or sneezing.