A student from MY World Preschool in Bukit Batok was reported to have tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday (5 April) promoting the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) to order the closure of the centre ahead of the month-long closure of preschools and student care centre scheduled on 8 April.
In a media statement, ECDA said the child tested positive for COVID-19 after three family members had contracted the infection on 1 and 2 April. The child had last been in school on April 1, before being quarantined.
All schools to close tomorrow for circuit breaker measures
Meanwhile, all other pre-schools island-wide will be closed from Tuesday (7 April) until 4 May as part of Singapore's "circuit breaker" measures to curb mass-transmission of the COVID-19 virus, that has currently taken its toll on over 1300 people, as well as claimed six lives.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) on Friday (4 April) announced that preschools and student care centres will suspend general services in conjunction with safety measures put in place to enhance safe distancing measures amid the pandemic. All students, including those in primary and secondary schools as well as institutes of higher learning, will be engaged in full-time home-based learning during this period.
Although these measures are to be in place for one month, the agency along with the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), noted that it will observe the pandemic and further advice if these measures are to be prolonged.
Under the current circuit measures in place, all preschools are to temporarily suspend their general services and are only to remain open to cater to a limited group of parents, such as those working in essential services like healthcare, who are unable to find alternative childcare arrangements.
MY World Preschool in Bukit Batok to open after disinfection
The MY World Preschool in Bukit BROK will resume operations after 16 April.
The centre is now being thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, and all affected staff and children of MY World Preschool have been issued with a leave of absence during the closure period, ECDA said.
The MY World preschool had previously seen a two-week closure of its branch in Bukit Merah after one of its teachers contracted COVID-19.