It’s a difficult start to the week for daycares in the province as COVID-19 forces the isolation of several children and questions still remain unanswered.
“It’s a fairly complicated week that started, and we knew it would not be easy,” says Geneviève Bélisle, director of the Quebec Association of Early Childhood Centers (AQCPE).
“We see that it is much more intense in terms of the number of cases,” she adds. I was talking with a general manager of CPE [en Beauce] Monday morning, which told me that there were seven group closings for the whole year. And there, he has already closed three groups ”.
Outbreaks in day care settings represent, for the moment, more than 26% of new outbreaks in Quebec this week, according to data from the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec (INSPQ). Contacted by The duty, the Ministry of the Family (MFA) does not collect data on the number of children in isolation. The AQCPE is not yet in a position to have a clear picture on the closure of groups in the network.
The association received several calls from its members at the start of the week, who have technical questions. “They wonder when there will be supplies of rapid tests, how we manage children who have had COVID-19 or how we reintegrate an educator who had COVID-19,” she lists. I hope that we will have the rapid test arrivals quickly, this will give us a good helping hand ”.
Questions and fears
Several parents contacted by The duty report that the rules on isolation communicated by their daycare are very clear, and have enough rapid tests. But questions persist.
As for Delphine Charmet, in Montreal, whose children tested positive for COVID-19 on December 25. After returning to daycare at the end of their isolation, her son’s educator, however, obtained a positive diagnosis on January 9. “The director called us to isolate our son until January 19. We do not understand several things. Since he has just come out of isolation, why does he still have to isolate himself. It is certain that so close to his infection, he cannot spread the disease again, ”says the one who says she feels confusion and exasperation.
The question is not clear, confirms the AQCPE. “In some regions, there is isolation and for others, no. It can create frustrations for parents. The directives are different according to the regional public health departments, says Geneviève Bélisle. If anyone had it, was it the Delta variant or the Omicron variant? “.
Parents also fear an accumulation of days of isolation for their children, suddenly 10 days for a long period.
Chloe Patenaude, a teacher whose daughter now has COVID-19, worriedly anticipates her return to work on January 24. “If the event happens again, it will be impossible for me to teach and keep my baby at home. On that side, there is no help or anything planned for this purpose. Right now, for example, I’m supposed to start my classes, but I can’t because my daughter isn’t in daycare, ”she told the Duty.
For its part, the Association des garderies privée du Québec estimates that nearly half of the children who attend its daycare centers are currently at home. “There are parents who have decided to keep their children at home,” said President Samir Alahmad. He adds that, for the moment, everything is going well in terms of rapid tests and he expects a new shipment soon.
Parents with whom The duty talked about actually choosing not to send their child to daycare. “As our son is not yet 5 years old, he is not vaccinated. Her birthday is in a few days. Being asthmatic, we decided to keep him at home again this week, ”says Elisabeth Boucher.
The Ministry of the Family indicates for its part by email that it is “important to note that the instructions could evolve over the next few days, according to the changing context which we are confronted”. “In addition, certain instructions may be different from one region to another by the regional public health directorates considering their respective situations in their territory”, adds one.