Childcare services in Quebec finally have the facts straight. The Minister of Families welcomes the new isolation recommendations from Public Health and will ask daycare centers and childcare centers to apply them.
In a press release released in the evening on Thursday, Mathieu Lacombe gave the green light to the implementation of these new methods in the network. Starting today, therefore, children declared positive who no longer have symptoms after five days of quarantine will be able to return to their childcare establishment. If symptoms are present at the end of this period, they will have to isolate themselves for another five days. The mask is not required in toddlers.
Quebec’s guidelines are based on recommendations from Public Health made earlier this week. Until yesterday, the Minister had not rendered his final decision on their application.
According to the new instructions, a member of staff who comes into contact at work with a child or an adult carrying COVID-19 will not have to isolate themselves. “For staff who have been in contact with a case at home, isolation for five days, followed by another period of five days during which it is also required to wear an intervention mask and to respect physical distancing. two meters as much as possible, applies, ”said Mr. Lacombe’s office.
Additional self-test boxes are to be sent to child care centers this month. In fact, the government of François Legault plans to distribute 1.7 million additional devices per month in January and February. On Friday, Minister Lacombe’s office confirmed that in addition to the boxes given to parents and educators, some can be used in the daycare setting.
In addition, starting Saturday, educators from the early childhood network will be added to the staff eligible for a PCR test in a screening center.
New turnaround
The new regulations issued by Quebec put an end to a long saga of back and forth suffered during the holidays by parents and educators.
At the end of December, Quebec dropped the mandatory isolation period for children with COVID-19. Faced with a major outcry – led in particular by the Montreal Regional Public Health Department – the government retraced its steps a few days later. Joined yesterday by The duty, the president of the Association of Private Daycares of Quebec, Samir Alahmad, deplored “the flip-flop of the Legault government at the start of the year.
The National Institute of Public Health of Quebec reports more than 180 active outbreaks in child care services this week.