Gov. Baker Explains How Day Care Centers Are Open Amid Strict Coronavirus Regulations

BOSTON (CBS) -- While Massachusetts schools were ordered to close for three weeks to help curb the spread of coronavirus, child care centers were exempt from the closure. Gov. Charlie Baker said Tuesday it is critical that day care remains available for first responders and health care workers.

"Many of them need to have access to child care to be able to continue to work," he said. "I think we are working with all those parties to be able to come up with what the right strategy is to ensure that people stay safe but at the same time, we continue to be able to provide the services, the necessary, life-saving and life-preserving services, that many of those workers are part of."

Baker assured that while day care centers stay open, they are doing so under coronavirus specific regulations as well.

"We are having an ongoing conversation with the health care community and our colleagues in the day care community. One of the things I would say about day care: many people believe, and this has been true of many of the conversations I've had with other governors, that we need to make sure that the day care services that are being provided, are being provided under guidelines that make them safe. And we issued new guidelines on this, which were consistent with both state and federal requirements several days ago, which the industry has adopted," said Baker.

The governor held a press conference Tuesday to announce initiatives the state is taking to help small businesses and reiterate that he does not plan on ordering a shelter-in-place.