Early childhood educators are voicing their concerns over potentially re-opening their doors, if and when New Zealand moves to Alert Level 3 of the Covid-19 response.
Under Level 3, children up to year 10 would be permitted to return to schools, with appropriate health measures in place to avoid any potential transmission of coronavirus, the Government said late last week.
Early learning centres will be open to provide childcare for people who are working. Children will not be able to attend playcentres and play groups.
However, in an open letter today to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the Early Childhood Council is urging that centres not be reopened until Alert Level 2 at the earliest.
"Our members do not want to open ECE centres under Level 3," council CEO Peter Reynolds says.
"Our primary concern is the threat of carrier risk, along with the myriad of issues we're still working through with the Ministry of Education.
"We need time to get it right, only under Level 2 is it safe to re-open.
"The guidelines provided by the Ministry of Education to the ECE sector for re-opening at Level 3 are commendable.
"They are, however, impossible to implement and will not prevent the spread of Covid-19 from asymptomatic children.
"It is impossible to prevent teething infants from putting toys in their mouths just as much as it is impossible to prevent an 18-month-old from breaching their bubble in the playground.
"We do not believe our 1300 childcare centre members are going to be satisfied and sufficiently confident enough to accept the current assurances from the Ministry of Education to re-open under Covid-19 Alert Level 3."
The Government will announce the next step in New Zealand's Covid-19 Alert Level, including a potential move down to Level 3, tomorrow afternoon.
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