Closure Of Pre-School Centres

01 Oct 2000

JOINT PRESS RELEASE BY MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT,

MINISTRY OF HEALTH

MINISTRY OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SPORTS

and MINISTRY OF EDUCATION:

All kindergartens, childcare centres, nurseries and play centres have been closed till further notice, wef from 1 Oct 2000. They will remain closed till further notice from the authorities.

The Ministry of the Environment has also advised management of fast-food restaurants and other places with children play areas to close them for the time being. Management of public swimming pools and those in condominiums are also advised to close their wading pools. Operators of enrichment centres, special schools, foreign system schools and learning centres which cater to children five and below are also to suspend classes or programmes for these groups of children until further notice.

We are taking these precautionary measures to break the chain of transmission. We understand the inconvenience parents and operators of childcare centres and kindergartens are facing but the inconvenience is unavoidable. Our primary concern currently is to protect the health and well-being of our children in Singapore.

Updates

The condition of the 5-year old boy at the KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), is stable.

Up to 2pm today, the various hotlines of the four ministries had received a total of 1815 calls. Most of the callers sought confirmation on the closure of the kindergartens and childcare centres, details of the HFMD, and general reassurances. Many also complained about the inconvenience they will face because of the closure. While we understand their concerns, we would like to reiterate that our first priority must be to ensuring the continued good health of our children.

Parents can help by keeping their children away from crowded places. In addition, they should consult a doctor if their children have any of the following symptoms: fever lasting two to three days, sore throat and runny nose, mouth ulcers, rash (usually blister-like) over hands, feet and diaper areas, vomiting and diarrhoea, tiredness and weakness.

Advice for families with infected children

The infected child should be kept at home to limit the spread of HFMD. The toys, books, eating utensils, towels, clothes, bed linens and other articles used by the infected child should not be shared with other children.

In addition, items handled by the infected child should be washed separately. Surfaces that are easily contaminated or are frequently handled, such as toys, potty-chairs, toilets and diaper changing areas should also be clean and disinfected. Good personal hygiene such as washing hands before and after using the toilet, preparing food and changing diapers is also important.

Those who need information can call the following hotlines:

Ministry of the Environment : 7319184 / 7319761/1800-7319222/1800-4532222

Ministry of Community Development and Sports: 1800-2580677

(For parents of children in childcare centres)

Ministry of Education : 879 6115 / 872 2220

Ministry of Health : 3259220 / 1800 - 2254122

All these hotlines will be in operation till 6.00pm today and from 8.30am - 6.00pm, from tomorrow.

The public can also access ENV's website at http://app.mewr.gov.sg and MOH's website at https://www.moh.gov.sg for information on the HFMD.