[ad_1]
No decision has been made to extend the midterm recess in schools to help stop the spread of Covid-19, according to the Department of Education.
According to reports this morning, the Government is considering extending the next recess for a week to help curb the spread of Covid-19.
However, in an official statement released through a spokesperson this Friday morning, the department said that no decision has been made to close the schools and keeping them open remains a priority.
“To date, the evidence shows that schools have reopened safely supported by significant investment to support all infection prevention and control measures recommended by public health authorities.”
Keeping schools open safely for children and staff is a key priority at all levels of the five-tier Living with Covid-19 plan, the spokesperson added.
“At levels 1 to 4 inclusive, schools can remain open with protective measures, and at level 5, recommendations will be based on the situation and evidence at the time.”
In recent days, the Department of Health has informed the Department of Education that the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) has carefully examined this issue, the spokesperson said.
“By recommending that schools remain open today, even in the current trajectory of the disease, Nphet has considered the national experience of reopening schools to date, including epidemiological data and information gathered through case management and sprouts.
“The Irish experience to date supports the current international position that schools are low-risk settings for COVID-19 and are not key drivers of transmission in the community.”
The Department said that many schools-linked Covid-19 cases here have been found to be exposed to the disease outside of the school setting, such as at home or in a social setting.
Similarly, when close contact testing of confirmed school-linked cases identifies additional Covid-19 cases, many of them are found to have been exposed to the disease outside of school.
“There have been relatively few cases where HSE Public Health has strong suspicions of Covid-19 transmission within a school.”
This morning, it was reported that the government is likely to add another week to the mid-term recess.
According to the report, high-level coalition sources said the proposal had been briefly discussed but a firm decision had yet to be made.
Ireland’s National Teachers Organization (INTO) said it has regularly engaged with the Department of Education about reopening schools.
“It is imperative that when important decisions are made, education stakeholders are consulted and duly notified of the results so that we can manage any potential disruption to our elementary schools,” said John Boyle, INTO Secretary General.
“INTO is calling for an urgent review of public health councils in schools to determine the necessary level of protocols, protections and precautionary measures needed when the level of infection is very high in a community and for clarity on the status of the schools at Level 5. ”
[ad_2]