Almost 1,500 Covid-19 cases in NI schools – education minister

NI Education Minister Peter Weir detailed the figures on the first day of a two-week school closure across the region (Liam McBurney/PA)

Almost 1,500 cases of Covid-19 have been identified in Northern Ireland’s schools since they reopened, the Education Minister has said.

Peter Weir said the majority of cases involved a single individual and he said only around 10 of the 1,000 schools in the region had experienced multiple cases.

Mr Weir outlined the impact of the virus on the general school population during Assembly question time.

He said the 1,491 cases between August 24 and October 13 included pupils and staff.

The minister said the figure represented a very small proportion of the total school population of 333,000 pupils and 19,000 staff.

He detailed the figures on the first day of a two-week school closure across the region.

The Halloween mid-term break has been extended by a further week as part of an intensified period of Covid-19 restrictions aimed at halting spiralling infection rates in Northern Ireland.

“The proposal put through the executive was schools will reopen on the November 2 – everything within Covid is always under review,” Mr Weir told MLAs.

The minister said he anticipated disruption in individual schools going forward.

But he said it was vital to keep the disruption to a minimum.

“That’s why I believe it’s important that we do see that resumption of face-to-face teaching on November 2 and beyond to ensure that we get the best possible support to all our pupils,” he said.

Sinn Féin MLA Sean Lynch asked if the minister was preparing for the prospect of a further widespread closure of schools.

“I’m not planning for failure and on that basis I think it is important that we do keep schools open,” the minister replied.

Mr Weir added: “It is vital that our schools are kept open.”