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The Government “will not hesitate” to make the right decision if the reopening of schools causes a significant rebound in Covid-19 cases, Tánaiste has said.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Leo Varadkar said back-to-school depends on downward trends in Covid-19 infections.
He said there was not a large increase in cases when schools returned in September, which provides some reassurance.
But, he said, the new B117 variant, detected for the first time in Britain, poses new problems because it is transmitted differently between children and young adults and the situation will be monitored very closely.
Schools will begin preparing today for the return of 320,000 primary school children and secondary school students next Monday.
Some guidance on arrangements has already been provided to school principals, and information on high-risk staff is still awaited.
The gradual return to school is part of the government’s revised plan to deal with the virus.
You will see Leaving Certificate students return to school on March 1st. Primary school children from early childhood to second class will also return then.
The remaining elementary and fifth year high school students will return on March 15, subject to ongoing reviews.
All other high school students will return to school on April 12, after the Easter break.
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Mr Varadkar said that because the incubation period for the virus is between five and 14 days, there should be a good indication of how things look between day seven and day 16, so 15 has been chosen. March as the date for the next cohort that the children return to the classroom.
He said the politician in it and the “kind of numbers” in it would like to be able to establish exact metrics, but as “we saw in December, how quickly this can go in the wrong direction.”
Varadkar said decisions will be based on trends in the virus, rather than exact dates and numbers.
Ideally, he said, cases in intensive care units would be cut by at least half where they are now, but there are other trends to consider, such as continued success of the vaccination program and supplies arriving as expected.
He said he understands that people are depressed and feeling fatigued, but it will be great to see some kind of normalcy resume next week.
Every week seems the same now, he said, but there is reason for optimism.
Meanwhile, with three business days to reopen, the elementary teachers union INTO said clear and consistent communication is needed as soon as possible to combat any uncertainty and confusion among teachers, students and parents.
Parents have five days to receive and absorb any information they may need to help them plan for the return of their children, and a public awareness campaign for parents agreed to as part of the reopening plan has already begun, according to the Department of Education.
However, once the school doors open, the focus will shift to keeping them open.
Unions representing school workers are mostly satisfied with the promised risk mitigation measures, such as increased support teams from the schools’ Health Services Executive.
They say implementation will be key, especially strong contact tracing and testing so that school-related Covid-19 cases that arise are resolved quickly.
The principal of St Aloysius’ College at Carrigtwohill in Co Cork said he hopes to welcome some students to the school next Monday.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Sean Twomey said he’s a bit “cautious” about how things will go.
In calls from some teacher unions for air ventilation monitors, Twomey said it could be very expensive to equip a school with air ventilation units, so he would bow to expert medical advice on ventilation and maintain the doors and windows open.
Tonya Hanley, principal of the Lourdes National School in Inchicore, Dublin, said there are additional challenges in the reopening, but it is exciting and the staff looks forward to seeing the children.
“We have missed you,” he said.
Ms. Hanley said she is encouraged by the brackets installed and it will be important to adhere to practical guidelines around ventilation, especially in large classrooms.
He said it is up to each school to seek funding under minor works grants for air quality monitors or other equipment to aid ventilation.
Additional reports Emma O Kelly
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