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Hanover (dpa / lni) - In view of highly contagious corona mutations, kindergarten teachers in Lower Saxony are urgently calling for better protection concepts for emergency care in daycare centers.
"For example, long-term planning and smaller groups would help us," said Karen Barjenbruch, who works in a daycare center in Twistringen in the Diepholz district.
In a letter to Education Minister Grant Hendrik Tonne (SPD) and other politicians, the 30-year-old describes everyday life with 13 children between the ages of three and six in a confined space without a minimum distance and mostly without a mask.
“I spoke to colleagues who are afraid for their own health and that of their families.
Colleagues who suffer from insomnia feel an absolute helplessness », writes the curative educator, who fell ill with Covid-19 herself.
The «Kreiszeitung» in Syke had first reported on the letter.
According to an analysis by the health insurance company AOK, professions in the care and upbringing of children were most affected by sick leave in connection with Covid-19 from March to October.
In the first two months of the pandemic, nurses and geriatric nurses were still ahead.
Four of her colleagues and children were also infected in Karen Barjenbruch's daycare center in November.
The 30-year-olds observed that little girls and boys would often not be tested at all if they did not develop symptoms.
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The Lower Saxony Ministry of Culture maintains that children are not drivers of infection.
Barjenbruch from Hanover replied that the data on people suffering from Covid-19 and the number of closed facilities were constantly at a low level.
In the second lockdown, emergency care may not only be used by parents in systemically relevant professions.
Free places should be filled with children with increased needs or other hardship cases.
The state of Bremen only switched to daycare emergency care last week - the trigger was the first evidence of the British Corona variant B.1.1.7 in a daycare worker.
The headlines were made by a corona outbreak in a daycare center in Freiburg, in which at least 18 children and teachers were infected with a mutated virus type.
Baden-Württemberg then postponed the opening of daycare centers and primary schools.
Barjenbruch and some of her colleagues are still struggling with the consequences of the Covid 19 disease in November.
"In between I am out of breath and I have heart rhythm disorders," says the 30-year-old.
"Scares you that you can get it again anytime."
In Hanover, a daycare employee tested positive for the corona virus at the end of November and then again in mid-January.
The second time it was the British variant.
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In the day care center in Twistringen, which also has integrative groups, Lebenshilfe offers free quick tests - a privilege because it is a provider of assistance for the disabled.
According to the Verdi union, the state of Lower Saxony should make such an offer to all day-care center employees.
"What has become normal in nursing is denied educators," criticizes union secretary Katja Wingelewski.
They would also have to be put on an equal footing with other endangered occupational groups in the vaccination strategy.
The family policy spokesman for the Green parliamentary group, Volker Bajus, said: “Minister of Culture Tonne must invest significantly more in a pandemic-proof company, and the staff must be better protected.
It is a grave omission that there is still no test strategy for daycare centers and elementary schools, although there are sufficient quick tests available. "
In addition, all positive tests from primary schools and daycare centers should also be checked for mutations.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210130-99-231239 / 2
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AOK press release on the evaluation of sick leave
Questions and answers about emergency care in daycare centers
Press release emergency care in daycare centers in Bremen