Daycare centres fast approaching full capacity

New procedures involving a string of restrictions involving hygiene, group sizes and social distances are placing a great deal of pressure on daycare centre staff.

In most of the large municipalities, about 40-50 percent of daycare children attended in the first week after the reopening, and this number is expected to rise to about 60 percent next week and to 70 percent the following week, according to Eyðun Christiansen, the head of the Municipalities Association.

Klaksvík decided to postpone its reopening until tomorrow, when 20-30 percent of the usual number of daycare children have so far been registered as attending.

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The guidelines issued to daycare centres ahead of the 20 April phased reopening included recommendations on reducing group sizes and practising hygiene procedures and social distancing.

“This requires a high degree of reorganisation with regards to daily procedures, staff resources and physical arrangements,” says Christiansen.

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A general estimate says that with the current restrictions the daycare centres can only take in about half as many children as usual, and some centres have already exceeded their full capacity.

“Some changes will most likely be needed to accommodate this new reality – and this does not only apply to our daycare centres; school procedures will also require adjustments,” says Christiansen.

“Whether these changes will consist of bringing in more staff, finding larger physical premises or whether the restrictive measures will eventually be eased, or a combination of all three, we can only wait and see.”

Translated by prosa.fo