'Inevitable' children will contract Covid over coming weeks, CMO says as 21,302 cases confirmed

The Department of Education has confirmed that schools will reopen this Thursday as planned.

The Chief Medical Officer has said it is inevitable that children will pick up Covid-19 from household contacts in the days and weeks ahead.

The warning came as a further 21,302 cases of the virus were confirmed this evening.

The Department of Education has confirmed that schools will reopen this Thursday as planned.

The HSE's Dr Colm Henry, who attended the meeting, said there was no public health rationale to delaying reopening of schools.

Dr Tony Holohan said that as the country experiences a significant surge in infection, it is important that unnecessary indoor mixing of households should be minimised to reduce the impact on essential services.

“It is important that all of us continue to support schools, business owners, family and friends to keep to the spirit of public health advice.

We must continue to restrict our movements to the greatest extent possible, by limiting the people we interact with from other households if we are to suppress transmission of Covid-19 and sustain our essential services.”

He said that as schools prepare to return to the classroom, there is very high and rising incidence of Covid-19 across all age groups.

"We also know, as a result, that there will be cases and outbreaks in schools and childcare settings.

"The Irish and international experience of the pandemic continues to give us reason to believe that schools are a lower risk environment for the transmission of Covid-19 and that the majority of children who are infected experience a mild form of this disease."

Speaking to the parents of pupils, Dr Holohan said children who have Covid symptoms or who live in a household where someone has received a positive or detected test result should not attend school.

He also encourage those with children aged between five and 12 to get vaccinated.

While the country’s schools will re-open, it is accepted by Education Minister Norma Foley that individual classes may be sent home as a result of a shortage of teachers in the coming days and weeks. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

This afternoon's meeting between the Minister for Education Norma Foley, representatives from public health, the HSE and education stakeholders heard that Covid-19 mitigation measures in place in schools have been reviewed and will remain in place in the coming term.

It was said that public health officials believe these measures are effective and appropriate.

Ahead of the reopening, the meeting was told schools have been provided with guidance on maintaining good ventilation while parents and students are being given guidance on ensuring symptomatic students and household close contacts do not attend school.

While the country’s schools will re-open, it is accepted by Ms Foley that individual classes may be sent home as a result of a shortage of teachers in the coming days and weeks.

Covid hospitalisations jump to 884 

The HSE’s lead on the vaccination and contact tracing programmes has acknowledged that the number of Omicron cases is “substantially higher” than the levels officially recorded through PCR tests.

The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 has jumped to 884, up from 804 on Monday.

As of 11am, some 90 patients with the virus were in intensive care - down three on yesterday.

The number of confirmed cases in hospital has been rising in recent days, as have the daily case totals.

It comes as the HSE’s lead on the vaccination and contact tracing programmes has acknowledged that the number of Omicron cases is “substantially higher” than the levels officially recorded through PCR tests.

When asked about the number of people in hospital “with” Covid as opposed to those in hospital “because of” Covid, Mr McCallion said that the clinical feedback he had received was that there were “substantial” numbers in hospital because of Covid.

However, he said that there had been some encouraging signs as Covid hospitalisations had been gradual and he hoped that was a trend that would continue.

'Challenging' to access PCR testing amid warning of antigen test shortage 

Mr McCallion encouraged anyone with a positive antigen test to act as if they had the virus and to follow public health guidance.

Access to PCR testing was “challenging” at present, he said, which was why changes had been introduced for people aged four years to 39.

However, the secretary-general of the Irish Pharmacy Union has warned that there will be a shortage of Covid-19 antigen tests in the country this week as further stocks are awaited.

Speaking on RTÉ radio, Darragh O’Loughlin said that pharmacies were running out of antigen tests and some were putting a limit on the quantities of tests that individuals could purchase.

Suppliers were having difficulties, he explained.

Cars queue for PCR tests at the Citywest Hotel, Saggart, Dublin. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

It was his understanding that there were orders due into the country later this week, but in the meantime, there would be shortages.

Demand for supply has “soared” beyond production capacity, he said, not just in Ireland, but also in the UK, the US and Australia.

Meanwhile, an investigation has been launched following reports of false positive results from Genrui Covid antigen tests.

The Health Products Regulatory Agency (HPRA) has said it is following up with the manufacturer of the test to investigate the matter.

Cork paediatrician Dr Niamh Ni Loinsigh raised concerns about the Genrui antigen tests on Twitter, saying she had received hundreds of messages on social media from people about the tests.

"When PCR was available, there seemed to have been lots of false positives with these kits," said Dr Ni Loinsigh.

"This could have major implications for people now with no PCR available."

The test, produced by Genrui Biotech Inc, is CE certified and on the approved EU list.