Editorial: Keep COVID from child-care settings

In the exciting, heady early weeks of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout that began in mid-December, doses were in high demand but very short supply. That scarcity of vaccines necessitated priority scheduling for those first in line to receive shots — and they rightly included frontline essential workers, such as childcare and early education providers.

That’s why now, seven months later, it’s discouraging to see a recent state COVID-19 report noting infection clusters in early-child-care settings. All three of those June clusters were on Maui — infecting groups of 10, nine and five — and revealed frustratingly lax approaches to vaccinations but also to recommended health protocols, such as masking. We must do better, especially to protect young children not yet eligible for the shots.

With more parents returning to work in Hawaii’s recovering economy, expect the need for child care to grow. Now is the time to reinforce the importance for child-care operators to shore up their health procedures, which should include one of the best preventative tools available: vaccinations, proven to be highly effective, safe and readily available.

General lapses seen in the recent clusters are highly instructive, and all child-care providers should take note:

>> A 10-case cluster involved a home-based setting of one caregiver and eight children, ranging in age from 8 months to 5 years. Those infected included the caregiver and one secondary case (identified via contact tracing), both of whom were vaccinated — but contrary to health guidelines, there was no policy or protocol for sick children to stay home, and masks were not worn by the caregiver or the children over age 2.

>> A five-case cluster involved a home-based setting of one caregiver and six children, ages 1 to 9. The infected included the caregiver plus two other adults in the household (secondary cases), all not vaccinated.

>> The nine-case cluster involved a child care program within a congregate setting, with four of seven children, four of 12 adult residents and one of 21 staffers testing positive for COVID-19. None of the residents and only half of the staff had been fully vaccinated.

Child care and early education providers hold critical service jobs, with potential occupational risk of COVID-19 exposure; that’s why they were prioritized for vaccination, which helps contain spread. In addition, though, layering of other preventive strategies is urged by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): staying home when sick for both keiki and staff, consistent and correct mask-wearing by staff and children over age 2, frequent handwashing, consistent cleaning and disinfecting, and improving ventilation.

Unlike traditional classrooms for older kids, child care for those under 5 can be home-based, casual or relaxed settings — which can run counter to following strict health protocols and best practices.

The nonprofit Learning Policy Institute, in reviewing a dozen studies that measured transmission in preschool and child care, said findings suggest that early learning programs are not associated with increased risk of contracting COVID-19 — when health and safety precautions are in place. These include such actions as increased cleaning, enforcing of social distancing and wearing of masks.

“In the limited instances in which secondary transmission occurred in child care and preschool settings,” the institute found, “staff accounted for almost all of the initial cases. Staff transmitted the virus to other staff members more often than to children, indicating the importance of masking and social distancing among adults in child care and preschool settings.”

Today, COVID-19 vaccines are abundant, free and accessible. In Hawaii, which prides itself on ohana values, immunization is one of the very best ways to shield keiki against the dreaded coronavirus. In child care settings, that means vaccinations among staff, plus stepped-up diligence on health-safety habits outlined in the CDC’s guidance for child care programs (see 808ne.ws/3xwtGJI).