Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 July 2020
550. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when his Department will issue guidance with regard to symptomatic children in childcare; if he has engaged with general practitioners regarding their role in certifying children to return to childcare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17030/20]
View answerExpert guidance on the safe reopening of childcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic was published by the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) on Friday, 29 May. The HPSC guidance sets out the steps to be taken by childcare services where a child is suspected of having symptoms of Covid-19 while in the service i.e. the child should be isolated from other children, their parent/s should be contacted and asked to collect them and the parent should be advised to contact their GP. The guidance is also clear that parents should be advised to not bring children to the service if they have symptoms of Covid-19.
The HPSC guidance does not require services to seek a medical certificate for children suspected of having Covid-19 in order for the child to return to the service. Officials in my Department have become aware of some confusion about this among services. The HPSC guidance is currently being updated to provide further clarity on this matter.
Following engagement with General Practitioners the HPSC have advised that requiring assurances/certification from medical practitioners prior to attendance at childcare or prior to return to childcare after an absence is not appropriate as it places unnecessary demand on the healthcare system and there is no reason to expect it to increase the safety of childcare services. Any process of medical certification in this context will, of necessity, relate to the child’s condition one or more days before attendance for childcare and the child’s condition may have changed in the interim.
