KUCHING, May 4 — Parents who work in essential services are allowed to send their kids to childcare centres in Covid-19 red zone areas in Sarawak from today.
State Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said that her ministry has given the green light to those centres that have applied.
“For other childcare centres, however, if there is a need, they must apply to the childhood division of the ministry before they are allowed to accept the children of essential workers,” Fatimah said in a statement.
On April 19, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg announced the closure of all schools, universities, colleges, childcare centres and kindergartens in Covid-19 red zones in Sarawak for 14 days, effective April 20 to May 10.
Fatimah said this affected a total of 2,518 childcare centres and 213 kindergartens.
She said childcare centres are required to apply to the ministry if they only accept the children of frontliners.
She added that of the 78 applications received from childcare centre operators, 65 have been approved as of April 30.
Fatimah said the rest were rejected because 11 do not care for the children of frontliners, while the remaining centre is not registered with the ministry.
