A primary school in Wexford has been forced to close until at least November in an "emergency measure" after a Covid outbreak.
Over 30 cases have been reported in CBS Primary School in Wexford town, with management making the decision to send students home until the situation clears up.
A meeting of the board of the school on Sunday said the call was necessary after over 35% of students were absent on Friday last.
It all stemmed after a child tested positive on October 8.
In a letter to parents, seen by the Irish Mirror, School Principal Vicky Barron said: “We appreciate the short notice we are giving, but the Covid-19 situation has evolved in our school and we are taking this emergency measure as a vital health and safety precaution for all.”
Ms Barrow added that under revised HSE guidelines for schools, children in the class were no longer classed as close contacts and no contact tracing was carried out after the initial positive test.
She wrote: "As Monday, October 11 progressed, we were informed of two more positive cases in 2nd class and the Board of Management took the serious decision to close this class. It was only on Tuesday 12th that the HSE recognised that the entire class were close contacts and sent all children for testing."
"The building is closed but the teaching and learning will continue," she added.
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NPHET will meet on Monday before making their recommendation to government as to what can and can't go ahead on October 22.
The majority of Covid-19 rules were set to be scrapped but a rise in Covid-19 cases and worry among experts has led to a less straightforward decision.
The Taoiseach is set to announce all the changes on Tuesday, after a briefing from NPHET and a discussion with Cabinet.
Vaccine certs look like one of the more likely changes to the original October 22 plan, with certs likely to stay in all hospitality.
