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The Department of Education has warned schools that they should not close until December 22, following a decision by a Co Mayo school to close early due to concerns about the spread of Covid-19.
The Claremorris National Children’s School informed parents last night that classes will cease starting today. This is based on the need to “dispel the fears and anxieties among the school community” about the positive cases in the school.
However, the closure violates department rules that require all publicly funded schools to remain open until next Tuesday, December 22. It is understood that there are concerns within the department that more schools may do the same.
This afternoon, a department spokesman said that while he did not comment on individual cases, he said that schools should follow public health advice on whether or not to close Covid-19 cases.
“While we understand that schools and principals have been working tirelessly in these unprecedented times, there is no public health justification for altering the agreed-upon standardized school holidays,” the spokesperson said.
“Schools will close for the Christmas break as agreed on Tuesday, December 22, not Friday, December 18. These vacation periods have been set to allow parents and school communities to plan ahead for basic work, child care needs and any other family plans at this time of year. “
The department did not say if there will be consequences for Mayo or if it will be required to make up additional instructional days. It is understood that two of the five classes at the school have been required to self-isolate following several cases of coronavirus at the school following a public health risk assessment.
However, public health officials gave the green light for three classes to continue at the school. The school said that despite not being able to get permission to shut down from the HSE department and public health, the shutdown was the “only practical way that we can help prevent further rise and spread of Covid cases among the community. school”.
In a statement posted on the school’s website, Principal Mark Loftus said: “We are deeply frustrated by the system adopted by the public health at the department and cross infection levels regarding Covid-19 and its effects, for insist that schools remain open at all. costs “.
Mr. Loftus said that it had been an extremely stressful, anxious, and unfortunate situation for students and families, and that the school had done everything possible to keep the virus out.
Mr. Loftus is one of the school’s staff members who, according to public health officials, are close contacts and have been asked to restrict their movements. He said it had been impossible for him to get substitute staff to cover absences because any available substitute teacher was too eager to get into a school with an ongoing Covid-19 outbreak.
He said the school felt it had had no choice but to close to try to prevent further spread, especially in the run-up to the Christmas break period.
Co Laois school closes
Moreover, a second school in Co Laois will also close today during the Christmas period due to the Covid-19 cases.
However, the Higher School of the Holy Family in Portlaoise said it was doing so on the advice of public health officials. He said education for children will continue online until December 22.
The latest figures show 60 cases detected in schools last week after massive testing of 2,368 students and staff in elementary, post-primary and special education schools.
38 cases were detected last week after mass testing 2,178 students and staff.
The latest figures indicate a 63 percent increase in the number of positive cases in the schools tested over the past week, with the positivity rate increasing from 1.7 percent to 2.5 percent.
Despite this increase, transmission of the virus remains low in schools. Health experts previously described the 2.3 percent positivity rate in mid-October as “reassuring” and said the figures indicated that efforts to prevent the spread of the virus had been “very successful.”
The vast majority of cases detected during the last week were in primary schools (55 cases), while only five cases were found in secondary schools. No cases were found in special education schools.
Nearly 90 percent of the cases were among students or those under the age of 18, with only 11 percent of the cases reported among staff or those over 18. The test was conducted in 61 elementary schools, 42 high schools, and four special education schools.
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