Covid-19: 440 primary pupils report positive antigen test in first week of programme

About 2% of tests issued under the primary schools programme have been positive. Picture: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie

The first week of the primary school's antigen testing programme has seen 440 students so far report a positive antigen test. 

Officially launched last Monday, about 22,000 free antigen tests have so far been distributed through the programme to the classroom close contacts of primary school students who receive a positive PCR test. 

Overall, about 2% of these 'pod members' have recorded a positive antigen test, according to the HSE, and 132 (0.6%) of these antigen tests have since been confirmed with a PCR test.

Under the programme, which isn’t mandatory, primary school principals are asked to identify the close contacts of students who have received a positive PCR test. Parents can then opt for a set of free antigen tests to be sent to their children. Students can continue to attend school while they take the tests, provided they have no symptoms. 

Principals can also extend the scheme to school staff if they have been working closely with a child who has had a positive PCR test. 

Information issued to primary schools on Monday morning saw the Department of Education revise its guidance on face coverings for students in primary schools. 

Last week, it told schools that students who refused to wear face coverings, and who did not have an exemption, should not be permitted to go to school. However, new guidelines issued to schools on Monday said it was “not intended that any child will be excluded from a school "in the first instance” and parents are asked to work with schools.

Free antigen tests on college campuses

Separately, colleges are to share a €9m fund set up to provide free antigen tests to students on college campuses. Antigen tests have been used for some time in the third-level education sector, according to Higher Education Minister Simon Harris. “This fund will also be accompanied by an awareness campaign around antigen tests and their appropriate use. I hope this will help students, staff and our college communities.”

Meanwhile, NUI Galway has been criticised by students for its exam halls, which they say are being occupied beyond the reduced capacity outlined by the college. NUI Galway has proceeded with in-person examinations, which it says are in line with public health guidelines. 

In an email to students, it said it had taken every possible measure to protect students from the risks of Covid-19 in exam hall venues. It said exam halls would be operating at “typically” 40%-60% capacity, that ventilation would be more effective because of reduced capacity and that other measures such as CO2 monitoring, hand sanitising and one-way systems to avoid congregation would be in place. 

Speaking on RTÉ’s Liveline, NUI Galway exam invigilator Críodan Ó Murchú said “huge numbers” of students were being forced into exam halls. Also speaking on Liveline, nursing student Sarah Doherty had just finished an exam in one of the larger exam halls, the Kingfisher gymnasium hall. 

“You couldn't stretch out your arms without hitting the person next to you, and there was a case of one invigilator refusing to wear a mask,” she said. 

At the time of going to print, NUI Galway had not responded to a request for comment.