Children’s Nurseries In Abu Dhabi To Have New Covid Protocol

On Monday, 21st June, officials in Abu Dhabi revised the Covid safety measures that apply to children’s nurseries in the UAE. The updated requirements will be imposed from July 1st.

What are the new rules for children’s nurseries in the UAE?

As per the new guidelines, the number of children within each ‘bubble’ will be upgraded. That is, for children who are between 45 days to 2 years old, the strength of the class will go from 8 to 12. For those aged between 2 and 4, the number will increase from 10 to 16.

Moreover, next time there is a positive covid case being reported, only that bubble would be shut down for ten days, instead of closing the whole nursery. However, if an infection is recorded in 3 or over 3 bubbles simultaneously, the whole nursery may be shut down for 10 days.

The new guidelines have the seal of approval from the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis, and Disasters Committee. They are being introduced because children’s nurseries in the emirates have been repeatedly having low rates of positive covid cases.

Certain routine regulations will also be conducted regularly. They will hold frequent inspections to make sure all safety and health protocols are being practiced. Moreover, to ensure that these Covid procedures are being implemented properly, the staff will be given compulsory online training. 

This also includes hiring a health and safety officer, as well as appointing a nurse in each of the nurseries. The latter will keep the children’s, educators, and other staff members’ body temperatures in check every day by monitoring them. Anything showing Covid symptoms can therefore be denied entry into the nursery.

How have the nurseries been coping up throughout the pandemic?

Mariam Al Hallami, Division Director of the Early Childhood Education, the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge had some input regarding all this. She emphasized the significance of nurseries in building kids’ futures. According to her, nurseries shape children’s skills and enhance their social and intellectual abilities at a very young age, which is a crucial point of developing character.

Additionally, nurseries provide parents with an alternate space where their children are taken care of. Therefore, through this basic service, they play an important role in helping parents work and continue with their careers. Parents, their employers, and nursery operators have been putting in combined efforts during the pandemic. They attempted to reduce the effect of diminishing the capacity of the nurseries, while also guaranteeing that the children get the crucial care and support they required. 

She also thanked the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis, and Disasters Committee, saying that the relentless support they provided to the nursery sector was much appreciated. The committee also extended its support to all parents who needed assistance with childcare. Nurseries have vaccinated over 77 percent of their staff members, and they have been successful in generating a safe atmosphere for the kids. 

Since nurseries lay the foundation for children’s education and development, it is important that they stay open and functional as much as possible.