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The first four classes in elementary schools are likely to return on March 1, Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman said on Friday, though most high school students will stay home until after Easter.
There will be no official confirmation of the plans issued until next week, but elementary students in classes three through six are also expected to continue their studies at home for two more weeks.
At the second level, the focus is firmly on the return of sixth-year students as a priority.
In an interview on RTÉ radio this morning, O’Gorman appeared to confirm details of the much-anticipated gradual reopening of schools, ahead of Cabinet approval on Tuesday.
“I understand that the focus is on the elementary school kids and the Leaving Cert classes and we’ll see how those four weeks in March have impacted,” he said.
“That will take us through the Easter break and at that stage a decision will be made regarding secondary classes outside of Leaving Cert classes.
“As things are now, I think most high school kids will probably go back to education after the Easter break.”
He said the government will engage with the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) to establish clear “phases” for the reopening.
O’Gorman’s comments offer a ray of hope to families heading into the weekend with the news that any broader return to normalcy remains a distant prospect.
Following a Cabinet Covid-19 subcommittee meeting on Thursday, sources indicated that Level 5 restrictions would likely continue through April with strict measures through early May.
Reflecting the stagnation in the number of cases, the judicious approach is likely to exclude only schools whose closure has been one of the most test measures introduced by the government to control the post-Christmas surge.
‘Very cautious’
In his presentation to the subcommittee, Nphet was said to be “very, very cautious” about what could be achieved in terms of easing restrictions; the gradual reopening of schools “above the limit of what they can bear,” said a source.
On Friday, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe confirmed that scenario, saying that the country’s exit from Level 5 would be gradual and that the country should be on guard; “We saw what happened in January.”
In a briefing Thursday, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ronan Glynn also warned people not to see the return of schools, as any signs of mobility or mixing between homes would be acceptable.
However, in somewhat confused signals ahead of the updated strategy, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly denied that “everything is off the table” regarding the reopening of the economy in the coming weeks.
“But I think it is important to look at what has happened as we come out of tougher restrictions in the past,” he told Newstalk Radio on Friday.
“We know that the UK variant is much more contagious and unfortunately what we are also discovering now, based on research from the UK, which is relatively new information, is that it appears that the UK variant is also more severe. in terms of hospitalization and fatality. “
Regarding home vacations, the reality is that no one knew if they would be possible this summer, he said.
As government officials continue to outline the details of a renewed Living with Covid-19 plan for next week, it is not expected to set any specific date for the reopening of sectors of society.
Supports
Pandemic wellness supports are almost certain to continue as businesses and employees face longer uncertainty.
Despite public efforts, the high number of cases remains of particular concern as Ireland approaches the end of winter.
Data from the Health Protection Surveillance Center on Thursday showed 47 deaths and 901 new cases. That latest report raised the country’s death toll past the 4,000 mark, reaching 4,082.
Of the more than 108,000 tests performed in the last week, the positivity rate is 5.5 percent. The national 14-day incidence rate of the disease is currently 269.
Regarding vaccines, the latest data show more than 182,000 first doses administered and more than 98,000 second doses.
Health officials have pointed out that although infection rates among health workers are falling dramatically, it is too early to attribute any pattern to vaccines. To date, frontline workers have received nearly 167,467 doses.
The signs are promising, however: both the UK and Israel, the countries with advanced vaccine programs, have seen infection rates plummet, though the ever-present threat of variants remains in the corner of the mind.
HSE CEO Paul Reid said that while he appreciated the public’s frustration with the speed of vaccine availability, this is only limited by supply – nearly 95 percent are being administered.
Health authorities have their sights set on vaccinating one million people a month starting in April.
Meanwhile, the variety available seems to be causing tensions. In a letter to HSE management earlier this week, the health services union group, known as the staff panel, said its members were dissatisfied with receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine which it said had “only one 60 percent effective ”.
That compares, he said, to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at 95 percent efficacy and Moderna at 94.5 percent.
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