There are five new cases of Covid-19 today. There was a further death - a woman in her 70s from St Margaret's rest home in Te Atatu. Education Minister Chris Hipkins says that distance learning will continue 'for some time'.
When Kiwi toddlers get together, they really mix, sharing toys, books and often germs - so how do you keep them safe from Covid-19 infection in early childhood centres.
Most centres admit they don't yet know all the answers ahead of their reopening next Tuesday when the country exits its hardline alert level 4 lockdown and enters alert level 3.
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Some have called for greater clarity before opening, while others are confident about pushing ahead safely.
The Early Childhood Council - whose 1300 childcare services have about 65,000 children enrolled - was among those recommending its centres stay closed due to the risks.
Linda Petrenko, owner of the Small Kauri Early Childhood Education Centre in Mangere, also believed there was a lack of scientific evidence about the risks that was unfairly shifting responsibility for safety away from the Government and on to centres.
For a start, there was not even an accepted idea of what a social distancing meant in early childhood centres, she said.
"You cannot change a nappy and social distance. You cannot receive an infant or toddler at the centre gate and retain social distance," Petrenko said.
"What about books, paper cannot be easily disinfected, does that mean no books, or that only an allocated teacher can handle a book before putting it away."
The Government push to reopen centres comes as new parts of the economy open up under alert level 3 and workers go back to work sites, potentially leaving parents with tough choices about how to care for their children.
Steiner kindergarten teacher Sally Russell works with Rosa Todd-Pemerika at Michael Park School in Ellerslie. Photo / Supplied
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said early childhood centres would only open to children who had no one available to care for them. Other parents were urged to keep their children home.
The Government also planned to thrash out further safety guidelines in a series of meetings with the early learning industry this week.
Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield also defended the decision to reopen yesterday on the basis children "have low infection rates, don't become unwell, and don't pass on the virus to adults".
International data confirms children are much less likely than adults to be detected with the virus, and even less likely to die from it.
However, a paper published by Johns Hopkins University on April 17 said it was "still not known what role children play in the transmission of [Covid-19]", saying they may play a role as asymptomatic spreaders.
Petrenko said keeping up with changing guidelines was a minefield for an independent operator like her.
She had five children confirmed as wanting to return next week. But only four of her 10 staff were comfortable coming back to work because the others had conditions like asthma or were caring for vulnerable people at home.
Petrenko said she wanted clear, scientific guidelines before she reopened.
Small Kauri early childhood centre owner Linda Petrenko with student Moss Scelly pictured before the Covid-19 outbreak. Photo / Supplied
Other concerns included what level of cleaning was needed, how that could be paid for at a difficult financial time and what would happen to centres that didn't choose to reopen.
Would they lose Government funding?
Terry Storer, principal of the Michael Park School in Ellerslie, also thought he might be short on staff numbers at his school and kindergarten due to many of his teachers being a little older.
He also wondered how 2m social distancing could be maintained at kindy.
"It is a real concern and questions as to what is reasonable and realistic are being asked now between the sector and Ministry," he said.
However, Michelle Pratt, director and owner of New Shoots Children's Centres, had been in talks with Government officials and believed the risks were marginal.
Her staff would meet this Friday for safety briefings ahead of next Tuesday's opening.
Cleaning teams would also "fog" each of her 12 centres with disinfectant. Normally this was done every six months, but now she was contemplating doing at the end of each week.
All children would also have their temperatures checked with an infrared digital thermometer before entering.
She expected more children to return in the second week of alert level 3 as most parents tried to hold off as long as possible.
"We won't be judging families for whatever choice they make," she said.
Rrahul Dosshi co-owner of Rainbow Corner early learning centres said his team had done all they could to prepare and the key was to now communicate clearly.
