Covid Ireland: HSE explain mix-up after hundreds of kids at Louth school sent home but return today

The HSE have said that a number of teachers mistakenly getting close contact alerts on their phones led to hundreds of kids being sent home at a Louth secondary school.

Over 700 students at St Oliver's Community College in Drogheda, were told not to turn up on Thursday while the authorities tried to trace the source of a confirmed case.

Over 30 teachers had been contacted by the tracker app to say that they were to restrict movements as they were deemed close contacts.

After a review was undertaken by the HSE it was found that a number of people contacted by the tracker app would not have to restrict movements and could return to school.

The HSE said in a letter to the school: "A confirmed case of COVID19 in St Oliver’s Community College has been notified to the Health Protection Medical Team, Department of Public Health, HSE North-East.

"The COVID19 Tracker Smart Phone Application identified some individuals who were deemed in the proximity of this confirmed case of COVID19.

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"A full Public Health Risk Assessment has been undertaken in the school, and the students and staff members identified following this assessment as being close contacts of the confirmed case have been contacted and advised accordingly.

"Some individuals were contacted via the automatic COVID19 Tracker Smart Phone Application.

"The Health Protection Medical Team, Department of Public Health, HSE North-East has taken this data and reviewed it with the information gathered from the full Public Health Risk Assessment including the Public Health interview of the case; assessment of overall compliance with control measures outlined in the national guidance for school setting; and reviewing the local infection prevention and control measures.

"We have concluded that those contacted by the COVID19 Tracker Smart Phone Application are not close contacts, and therefore: • Do not need a test for COVID19, and • Should continue to attend school."

The school returned as normal on Friday morning with only those actually deemed close contacts asked to stay home.