This is especially so when children are not currently eligible for vaccinations, he added.

This comes after health minister Dr Adham Baba revealed on Monday that 82,341 children and teenagers aged 17 and below had been infected since the pandemic began.

In a statement, Noor Hisham said these numbers were concerning, particularly the 19,851 patients who were below the age of five.

“Parents act as protectors to children. They need to take proactive action to protect children from being exposed to the dangers of Covid-19.”

He said parents should keep tabs on their children to make sure they aren’t seeing friends and neighbours, and ensure their children adhere to mask wearing and SOPs if they have to leave the house.

He also said that only one family representative should be going out to buy daily essentials, and advised parents to shop online where possible.

“Parents with infants and children below five must carry out their responsibilities by staying home, not bringing children to risky places like supermarkets, public markets, and other crowded places.”

He said as children are currently not included in the country’s vaccination programme, “parents and members of the surrounding community should protect them by registering for the vaccine.”

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