SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Concern over a second outbreak of the H1N1 virus in the NWT has prompted Yellowknife daycares to take extra precaution when it comes to cleanliness.

Kathy Watkins, director of Kids Corner Child Care, shows Lux Thompson how to use a hand sanitizer machine. - Andrew Livingstone/NNSL photo

Kathy Watkins, director of Kids Corner Child Care, said they take a lot of precautions when it comes to keeping the daycare germ-free, but since the swine flu outbreak, they've been beefing up on cleanliness. Watkins said they handed out pamphlets to parents Tuesday and will be conducting some cleanliness workshops with staff and the kids.

"We're going to be doing some 'how to wash your hands' things with them," she said. "We've got the local health department coming in. They are very helpful and said they'd come in and give a workshop to the staff."

While concerns are high among health officials of a possible outbreak this fall, Watkins said parents are being proactive and the worry is minimal.

"Any time their child has flu-like symptoms at all, they get a little worried," she said. "It's usually just some other mild virus."

Two cases of the flu turned up at the daycare this summer, but neither were found to be swine flu. Watkins said if the virus does get into the daycare, they would close their doors.

"I guess we'd have to if it got that serious," she said. "We haven't had anything show up just yet and we're hoping we don't."

Cleanliness in the daycare has always been important to Watkins. The centre cleans everything daily, from door knobs to the paper towel dispensers in the washrooms.

"We clean anything that staff or kids get their hands on," she said, adding they even clean toys daily to rid them of any germs a child might have passed on.

Making sure staff keep their hands clean is very important because they work with all the kids, which increases thepotential of passing on germs from one child to another.

"There is a lot of nose-wiping in the winter, and every nose you wipe and you turn and get the hand sanitizer and then you're on to the next nose," Watkins said, adding they use disposable face wipes to clean a child's face.

"It's just so much hassle to not use the same cloth on the next child that we decided to just go to the wipes to clean their faces."

Watkins had some words of advice if a child comes down with flu-like symptoms.

"If the child is really sick, keep them at home. We don't mind."