An amendment to a Legal Notice governing the closure of schools as from today empowers the Health Superintendent to allow the opening of government childcare centres, The Malta Independent can reveal.

The Legal Notice was amended on Sunday.

Schools remained closed today as part of a new round of measures announced last week to curb the spread of Covid-19. All educational facilities are to remain close until after the Easter Holidays, with learning shifting to online once again. It is unclear whether schools will reopen on 12 April, and a decision will likely be taken at a later stage, depending on daily Covid-19 figures.

The amendment to the Legal Notice adds the following paragraph: “Provided further that the Superintendent of Public Health may, in exercising her discretion, and subject to any condition that she deems necessary, authorize the opening of Government child care centres to render services of an essential nature."

Earlier this month, the government issued a directive instructing that, where possible, employees should shift to teleworking. However, not all public service works are able to work from home.

The UHM-Voice of the Workers said last week that it was instructing public public service employees who have children aged 12 and under and who have nobody to look after them during working hours to work from home. The union said the decision was being taken in light of half-baked” Covid-19 measures.

The Public Service said this directive was “unnecessary” since workers who can work from home had already been told to shift to teleworking.