Covid-19 childcare centre closures as Omicron leaves workers sick or isolating

There has been a spike in childcare centre closures due to Covid, causing major problems for parents. See which ones are affected where you live.

There has been a spike in childcare centre closures due to Covid in the last 24 hours, causing major problems for working parents.

The latest data reveals centres are being forced to temporarily close in regional areas, as well as the major cities, because either workers are sick or isolating.

As of January 7, there are 439 childcare centres closed across Australia due to a health emergency.

A further 89 are closed due to a localised issue, including school holiday closures.

Child care centres have closed because of the Omicron outbreak. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

The majority of centres closed due to Covid are located in NSW (322), followed by Victoria (48), South Australia (34), Queensland (22), ACT (8), Northern Territory (4) and Tasmania (1).

Care for Kids chief marketing officer, Lauren Simpson said cases were impacting childcare all over Australia, including inner city and regional areas.

She said the pandemic was “forcing childcare centres to close due to the number of childcare workers being sick or waiting for test results”.

“Typically this is a quieter time of year for parents seeking care, adding extra pressure to childcare centres who are not always staffed to maximum capacity,” she said.

She said working families need access to quality childcare.

Care for Kids, which helps parents find the right childcare option for their family, also lists vacation care or other short-term care options such as babysitters.

careforkids.com.au

*Data collected from all CCMS data providers; figures up to date as of 16.50pm (AEDT)