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Docs, cops and nurses are among those who can count on receiving child care during the COVID-19 crisis, according to the Ontario government.

The province had ordered all licenced child-care centres to close as part of the provincial fight against the coronavirus but now says select centres can open for essential workers.

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Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced the measures Sunday saying it was vital to support frontline staff.

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“We need to protect the safety of the staff and children at these centres,” Lecce said. “For that reason, we are putting strict measures in place, such as restricting the types of centres that can re-open and keeping the number of children in any one centre low.”

Licenced child care centres were closed as part of the recent declaration of a state of emergency in Ontario. In opening the select centres, the province will work with municipal partners in determining which centres are absolutely necessary.

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The service will be offered to select frontline workers free of charge and any extra costs incurred by municipalities will be reimbursed by the province.

Doctors, nurses, paramedics and anyone working in delivering frontline health care are among those who will qualify for child care. The list also includes firefighters and police officers, correctional officers and a slew of workers employed by the Ministry of the Solicitor General.