B.C. childcare providers take issue with isolation rules for kids with close COVID contacts

B.C.’s childcare providers have been left reeling after learning children who are close contacts of people who test positive for COVID-19 can come back to daycare.

Christina Dicks, director for the Early Childhood Educators of BC, says even if close contacts don’t have symptoms, there remain major concerns about potential transmission.

“If COVID comes into the centres because our children are typically not vaccinated, then staff get sick. At the end of the day, we’re not going to be able to provide care anyway because we must always maintain a ratio. We can’t function if we’re understaffed,” she told CityNews.

“We all know that they say it’s possible you can spread [the virus] before symptoms are showing, so there doesn’t seem to be any preventative measures and I think that’s upsetting a lot of educators in the field.”

Q-close contact rules for kids when can they go back? ten days?ok if not symptomatic? when will @CDCofBC be updated?
DBH: it is a time of transition right now. working with MDFD & ECE. New info in coming days. Don’t need to isolated if close contact#bcpoli #covid19 @CityNewsVAN

— LizaYuzda (@LizaYuzda) January 18, 2022

On Tuesday, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry tried to provide more clarity around isolation requirement confusion. She said healthy children who are unable to get vaccinated do not have to isolate if they’ve been a close contact of someone who is positive for the virus.

Henry hinted at this shift before but daycare operators had still been telling families to keep kids home if a close contact has COVID-19.

“It has been a challenge as we have changed and had to change to deal with the challenging and different situation that Omicron is presenting us,” Henry added. “So yes, those are still the guidelines that were in place as things have transitioned. There’s been challenges in some places in taking up the new protocols.”

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• Kids can still go to daycare even if close contact has COVID, Dr. Henry says

• B.C.’s childcare sector says it is ‘blatantly neglected’ by province

Meanwhile, Dicks says staff are already overworked, and these changes are another devastating blow. She warns this new policy could put other children at risk as well.

“The sector as a whole has a very fragmented system. And without a large system in place, there’s just so much confusion. We aren’t provided with rapid tests. Not isolating and contact tracing means that the risk of spreading it in childcare is higher. I understand the need to keep childcare open, but if we don’t have the staff to work, then childcare won’t be open anyway,” she said.

Dicks is hoping for more consultation from the province, which she says they’re not getting right now.

Henry has said she plans to meet with childcare operators and providers, with a townhall scheduled.

Earlier this month, childhood educators called for guidance and support, saying a lack of communication from the province had left the industry feeling neglected.

-With files from Monika Gul and Claire Fenton