Primary schools are 'low risk' settings for Covid transmission, Holohan says

Dr Tony Holohan urged parents to keep children who are unwell home from school 

Chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan has said primary schools are a “low risk setting” for the transmission of Covid-19 and despite significantly increased testing in this age group in recent weeks, there has only been a relatively modest increase in the detection of cases.

His comments come as new guidance dictates primary school students will no longer have to self-isolate from Monday if they don’t have symptoms after being identified as a close contact of a positive case in schools. Children currently self-isolating at home can return to school on Monday, as long as they are symptom free.

Children identified as “household” close contacts will still have to isolate themselves, as will students who have symptoms of Covid-19.

This evening, the country reported another 1,355 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with 286 patients in hospitals with the disease, down 14 from yesterday.

As of 8am this morning, 59 patients were being treated in intensive care unit, down from 43 yesterday.

Dr Holohan said both nationally and internationally, the evidence shows that schools are a "low risk setting" for the transmission of Covid-19 among school-going children.

“The resumption of in-person education was associated with a significant increase in the numbers of children referred for testing in recent weeks," he said.

However, this increase was driven by the screening of asymptomatic children who had been identified as close contacts. 

"This action was precautionary and was due to the diligence of parents and guardians bringing their children for tests." 

Despite significantly increased testing, there has only been a relatively modest increase in the detection of cases and the associated positivity rate has decreased from 16% to 5% which is "very reassuring."

"As such, now is the right time to evolve our contact tracing approach, while maintaining the infection prevention and control in place in educational settings."

The CMO urged parents to keep children who are unwell and who experience the common symptoms of Covid-19 home from school and to contact their GP if they have any concerns.

'Blind-eye' not being turned to Covid in schools

The Minister for Education has refuted claims that a “blind-eye” is being turned on Covid-19 transmission in schools.

Norma Foley appeared in the Dáíl this Thursday morning, facing questions from opposition TDs  following the announcement on Wednesday afternoon that significant changes to the contact tracing protocol for schools are to come into effect from Monday.

Education Minister Norma Foley said the policy change on contact tracing and testing has been offered by the “best medical experts”  Picture: Brian Lawless

This Thursday in the Dáil, Paul Murphy, People Before Profit/Solidarity TD, said the change of testing policy "does not make sense."

“If you have a situation where a child goes to a birthday party for half an hour, they are counted as a close contact and have to be tested.”

 “Alternatively, if they're in school for a week in the same pod as another child all day, every day for a week, now all of a sudden they don't count as a close contact.” 

It's hard to avoid the conclusion that this is a kind of ‘hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil’ approach, that if we don't test children, then we won't see just how widely Covid is running through our schools.

Parents' lives shouldn’t be made more difficult in getting their children tested, he said.

“But the idea that we just turn a blind eye to Covid transmission in the schools and treat them as some sort of magical place where transmission doesn’t happen just doesn’t make any sense.” 

Minister Foley refuted his claims, saying that there was “absolutely no question of turning a blind eye to anything in our schools."

“I want to be very clear that all the protection measures recommended by public health are currently in our schools, and remain in our schools, despite what might be happening in wider society.” 

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The policy change on contact tracing and testing recommended on Wednesday has been offered by the “best medical experts”, including Dr Tony Holohan, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), and the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet), according to the Minister.

They have collectively reviewed all population data in terms of children under the age of 13, she added.

“It is their expert view that the reopening of schools has not led to an increase of Covid-19 among school-going children or more widely across the population.” It is also their view that the positivity level amongst children under the age of 13 was at 15% before schools went back, but that it is now at 5%, she added.

“So these measures have been introduced on foot of expert data analysis, and the advice from the CMO and Nphet.”