Jess Casey: Closing schools or keeping them open – the Government faces a difficult choice

Some of the safety equipment used to keep teachers and students safe in schools. File Picture: Alison Laredo

With so much importance placed on in-person learning, it seems unfathomable that Government missed the only opportunity to get the virus under control while keeping schools open. Now, we are facing at least three weeks of remote learning after repeatedly hearing schools are safe. How did we get here? 

In terms of public service, the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) has three core objectives: to prioritise in-person learning for primary and secondary students; childcare; and non-essential healthcare while protecting public health. These are the fundamental essential services we should be proud to protect as a society. It is obscene that some cities, like New York, for example, put inside dining ahead of schools.