Covid-19: Fatimah gives assurance on early childhood institutions

KUCHING: Every effort will be made to monitor the implementation of procedures in all early childhood institutions in Sarawak in light of the growing number of Covid-19 cases.

Women, Childhood, and Community Well-being Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah who gave the assurance said this will be done in collaboration with the National and State Disaster Management Committees.

She said the experience gained from the onset of the pandemic previously positions them well for the effective implementation of the TRIIS strategy (Test, Report, Isolate, Inform, Seek).

“The experience we had before puts us in a better position to face what lies ahead, especially with regards to the implementation of TRIIS strategy.

“We will continue with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) in kindergartens and child care centres and improve on them where necessary,” she said.

Towards this end, Fatimah expressed confidence in the adaptability of little children in adhering to safety measures such as handwashing, social distancing, and mask-wearing.

She felt the SDMC will further explore and implement initiatives within MySejahtera to cater to the specific needs of the early childhood education sector in Sarawak.

“Given the focus on digitalising health systems through MySejahtera, I believe that at the state level, the committee will discuss this matter so that it will address the situation in the context of nursery, kindergarten, teachers, and parents in Sarawak.

“We want to ensure that the procedures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 are strictly adhered to by all stakeholders.

“From our experience, we know for a fact that little children too understand and can comply with the SOP, such as washing hands, social distancing, wearing masks, etc.,” she added.