An emergency child care centre in Yorkville reopened Thursday, two weeks after it was shut down due to an outbreak of COVID-19 among children and staff members.
Jesse Ketchum Early Learning and Child Care Centre, located near Davenport Road and Bay Street, closed its doors in late April after three staff members tested positive for the virus.
In total, at least 13 staff members and seven children who attended the centre– including an eight-month-old baby – have now tested positive for COVID-19.
The centre is one of seven emergency child care centres set up by the city to provide child care for the children of essential workers, including health care staff.
The city announced the temporary closure of the centre on April 28 and advised that all staff and children who attended the centre should stay home for two weeks.
In a release Thursday, the city said that Toronto Children’s Services is taking a phased approached to reopening the centre, which has undergone a deep clean.
“Three rooms opened today, which can accommodate up to 21 children in total. In the coming weeks, an additional two rooms will be open to bring the capacity of the centre to 30 children,” the release said.
Child care will be available at the centre five days a week, from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa said previously that infection prevention measures similar to those seen in a health care setting were in place at Jesse Ketchum at the time of the outbreak.
The city said Thursday that current infection-prevention measures for the centre include requiring staff to wear surgical masks when a two metre (six feet) distance cannot be maintained, daily screening of children and staff, increased disinfection, reduced group sizes and limiting the number of people in the centre.
“Prior to resuming service, the division worked with Toronto Public Health to ensure that all health and safety policies and procedures would be followed, including incorporating updated guidelines from the Ministry of Health,” the city said. “All staff returning the facility were required to provide a clearance letter from Toronto Public Health. Staff have also been retrained to ensure full compliance with all health and safety policies and procedures.”
The city has been investigating the outbreak with the help of Toronto Public Health, but it is not yet clear how the virus made its way into the centre and spread rapidly among kids and staff.
Children's Services is continuing to work with Toronto Public Health on an ongoing review of all of emergency child centre practices, the city said Thursday.
