What do daycare facilities need to know?
1. Daycare providers should implement and reinforce hand hygiene and cough etiquette principles. Hand hygiene means frequently washing hands with soap and water or using alcohol gels. Cough etiquette means coughing or sneezing into the inside of your elbow to prevent contaminating hands. Preventive measures are extremely effective in preventing the spread of illness. 2. Daycare providers should apply routine policies for exclusion at daycares. Sick children should be sent home and remain home for 24 hours after symptoms subside. 3. Daycare providers should know that HEALTH does not recommend testing for mycoplasma as a means to determine whether a previously ill child can return to day care, nor should it be used to screen well children for admission to day care. How will alcohol gels be distributed? The state will be distributing alcohol gels and dispensers to all Rhode Island schools beginning Sunday, January 7, 2007. All schools will also be receiving 2 refill packs of alcohol gels
