The Department of Education has confirmed that primary school children who are close contacts of a confirmed Covid case will receive antigen tests.
Routine testing in primary schools ended at the end of September but children between the ages of 5 and 12 were the cohort with the highest cases of Covid across the country by the end of October.
In the last week alone, children under 18 made up 24.2% of all confirmed Covid cases with over 6,000 cases being recorded among children aged between 5 and 12.
The HSE has said they will be implementing the programme as soon as possible.
The Taoiseach said earlier this week that: “In terms of the contact tracing, there will be utilisation of antigen in given areas within schools, in line with advice from public health.
“Public health has been very consistent in relation to schools and advice to schools.
“And we’ll continue to keep the matter on the review.”
GPs and Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan have voiced concern over the use of antigen testing as they can offer “false reassurance.”
Speaking in Cork on Monday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has indicated antigen testing may be used in certain incidents.
Mr Martin said: “The important thing there is the ECDC has suggested that in specific circumstances within schools and I spoke to the CMO that antigen testing may be used.
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