The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD has accepted recommendations in relation to measures for contact tracing and testing for childcare and primary schools. The new measures will come into effect from Monday. The recommendations mean that automatic contact tracing of close contacts in childcare facilities and primary education will be discontinued , not including special education facilities, testing of asymptomatic close contacts in childcare facilities and primary education will be discontinued again not including special education facilities, children aged 12yrs or under, who are identified as close contacts in childcare, educational settings, special education settings or other non-household settings and who are asymptomatic will no longer be required to restrict movements, unless indicated by the local public health team, children aged 12yrs or under who are identified as household close contacts in household settings will still be required to restrict movements and get tested, regardless of symptomatic status
Public health advice remains that any child aged 12yrs or under who displays symptoms consistent with COVID-19 should rapidly self-isolate and not attend school or to socialise until 48 hours after they are symptom free
The INTO said it is shocked at the speed of the decision to allow unvaccinated children who are linked to a confirmed case in their class continue to attend school. The union, along with some crèche operators, believe it is too soon to make this decision and have urged the Government to revisit the issue.
