Coronavirus and the Early Education and Care service.
Unlike with colds and flu, small children don’t seem to be as severely affected by COVID-19. They also don’t appear to contribute significantly to disease spread. Transmission of COVID-19 has mainly been from adult to adult.
ECEC services should feel confident that increasing hygiene practices and social distancing at their service will help prevent the spread.
The information and actions below help ECEC services prepare for, prevent and manage a potential outbreak of COVID-19. They apply to all service types unless otherwise specified.
Hygiene measures
- Clean your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
- Sneeze or cough into your elbow or a tissue – consider placing tissues in every room at your service for staff and children to use.
- Place used tissues straight into a bin.
- Avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Don’t share food or drink.
- The use of mobile phones by staff should be discouraged unless necessary, and staff should be encouraged to clean their phones regularly.
- Display health and hygiene promotional materials from the NSW Government External link including translated resources External link in prominent places at your service including the kitchen, learning spaces, hand wash and toilet areas.
- Use these resources from The Wiggles to teach children about cough etiquette and handwashing.
