Tony Holohan: Rest assured it is safe for children to return to school
The number of patients being treated in intensive care units has risen one to 93.
Ireland’s chief medical officer has moved to reassure parents ahead of the return of schools on Monday as cases of Covid among primary children soar.
Dr Tony Holohan said the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) will continue to monitor the level of the disease and review the epidemiological data and its advice.
On Sunday, a further 1,963 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Ireland, the Department of Health said.
There are currently 500 people in hospital with the disease, with 93 of those in intensive care.
Health experts confirmed that the Covid-19 incidence rate in children aged 5-12 is the highest in Ireland.
“I am conscious that parents and guardians will be concerned about the high level of incidence of Covid-19 amongst the 5-12 age group, particularly as children head back to school on Monday after the mid-term,” Dr Holohan said.
“I want to reassure you that, as winter approaches, Nphet continues to monitor the level of incidence of the disease and to closely review the epidemiological data, the international research and guidance and to update our advice accordingly.
“International evidence tells us that, in the vast majority of cases, children who become infected with Covid-19 experience mild symptoms or are asymptomatic.
“The public health advice is based on scientific evidence and the direct experience of the pandemic in Ireland.
“It shows that child-to-child transmission is uncommon in school settings where there are preventive measures in place like those throughout our schools.
“Schools are vital to the health and wellbeing of our children and it is important that we continue to balance the priorities of safeguarding public health in the community with the social and psychological development needs of our youngest generation.”
Dr Holohan said that parents and guardians play an “essential role” in helping to drive down case numbers.
He urged the public to keep following public health advice at home and at school drop-off and pick-up.
“Outdoor or well-ventilated indoor activities are safer for everyone,” Dr Holohan added.
“When planning social occasions, please keep the public health advice at the centre of what you do.
“I want to thank parents and guardians, grandparents, teachers, schools and of course, schoolchildren themselves, for continuing to work with us to limit the spread of Covid-19 and to keep driving down incidence of infection.
“You are helping us to protect patients in hospital and people in the community who are the most vulnerable to infection and severe illness.
“Your effort is vital to our success.”
The Taoiseach has said he expects that Covid-19 booster jabs will be rolled out widely in the population in the near future.
The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) is to meet tomorrow in relation to boosters for healthcare workers.
However, Micheál Martin says we can expect an expansion of boosters as well as vaccines to be rolled out to children, which has already been done in the US.
"It seems to me as I said before in terms of the European perspective is that over time vaccines will be used in respect of Covid regularly, so I think we can look forward to the expansion of boosters, subject to the advice from the clinical advisors," he said today.
"We can look for the expansion of boosters and also the indications are that following the decision by the FDA in respect of vaccinating children, the EMA will take a decision In relation to that in a number of weeks time and then it will fall to our authority to give consideration to that aspect.
"The other side is the therapeutics. There's more progress being made on how to treat Covid and that's positive and the more authorisations we see of newer medicines, I think that will help us in our battle against Covid," Micheál Martin added.
As children return to school this week, the Taoiseach asked parents to heed advice, that if a child is symptomatic, to keep them at home.
"The biggest problem we have at the moment is respiratory illness, not with COVID," he said.
"So the bottom line is, if your child is symptomatic at all, keep your child at home."
Over the past 14 days of the total number of Covid 19 cases confirmed in the country about 1.7% were hospitalised and 0.7% admitted to ICU, according to HSE chief clinical officer, Dr Colm Henry.
He said that is half the level of conversion Ireland would have seen in previous surges and is thanks to protection from the high vaccination rate though he added they do not afford such significant protection against transmission.
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