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Franziska Giffey (SPD): Compared to the developments outside, it shows how safe the daycare centers are, said the Family Minister.
The cases have not increased in the past few weeks
Photo: Britta Pedersen / dpa
The coronavirus continues to spread rapidly in Germany, the number of new infections now exceeds the previous highs from April, even if the numbers are not directly comparable due to the different testing.
In a controversial step, kindergartens and schools were closed across the board for weeks in order to avoid infection beyond the youngest.
Federal Family Minister Franziska Giffey (SPD) has now rejected a new preventive closure in view of a second wave of corona.
"Regular operations should be maintained as long as possible," said Giffey in Berlin.
The findings from a study would show: "Daycare centers are not sources of infection, children are not infection drivers."
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Together with Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU), Giffey presented the study on regular operations in day-care centers during the corona pandemic.
12,000 daycare centers and daycare workers have been sharing their experiences with the ministries since the summer.
According to Giffey, only 79 virus outbreaks have been reported in day care centers and after-school care centers between the start of the pandemic and October 12.
Closures would have affected less than one percent of the more than 56,000 daycare centers nationwide.
Compared to the developments outside it shows how safe the daycare centers are, said Giffey.
The cases have not increased in the past few weeks.
"Below average" numbers of infections in small children
Her cabinet colleague Spahn emphasized that there are "below average" numbers of infections among small children up to the age of five.
Although they made up six percent of the population, only three percent of infections were in the youngest.
In general, illnesses would often be very mild.
"It's going very well in the daycare centers," said Spahn.
In addition to daycare centers, schools should also remain open, if possible.
Instead of closing facilities, it is more important to minimize the risk of infection: A major focus is accordingly on hygiene measures such as hand washing and regular ventilation.
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At the same time as the study results, Giffey published the guide "Daycare in Times of the Corona Pandemic", which gives the facilities practical tips on how to implement hygiene measures in a child-friendly manner.
For the specialists in the daycare centers, both the study results and the handout should be a relief.
But for the time being, this does not change anything about the general criticism of the daycare policy.
At the moment, too much responsibility is being passed on to the daycare management, says Barbara Nolte from the Association of Education and Upbringing (VBE) in North Rhine-Westphalia: "Parents evenings yes or no, if parents are allowed to bring and pick them up or not, siblings of a sick child must also stay at home ", the management would often have to decide all of this for themselves.
At the same time, they would have to deal with parents who refuse to wear a mask or who bring their child back too early after an illness.
"This is an enormous burden for many lines," says Nolte, who runs a daycare center in North Rhine-Westphalia, "everyday life is characterized by the fear of overlooking something."
She calls for a clear decree from the ministries.
The German Daycare Association also recently demanded that politicians end the "blind flight at daycare centers".
"We are happy to be prepared," said chairwoman Waltraud Weegmann, who also runs the business of a provider with 42 daycare centers in three federal states.
Since the guidelines from politics always come as a surprise and at short notice, their carriers would have thought up scenarios for themselves how to deal with increasing numbers of infections.
"We absolutely want to prevent the health department from closing the entire daycare center in the event of an infection," says Weegmann.
That is why, for example, the groups in their daycare centers in Stuttgart have been strictly separated again since the number of infections in the city has been increasing.
In this case, the corona protection conditions of the carrier go beyond the requirements of Baden-Württemberg.
Daycare centers adapt
The study shows, however, that apparently many daycare centers have successfully found their own ways and concepts.
The daycare centers have adapted very well to the situation, said Giffey.
Because the topic affects them enormously in everyday life.
In the past few weeks, according to the study, every fourth daycare center reported having been affected by a suspected case.
But if it were actually necessary, groups would usually only have to be closed selectively instead of closing the facility completely, says Giffey.
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mrc / sun / AFP