Irish primary and secondary schools have been back for a couple of weeks now, and as a result of the ongoing pandemic, around 12,000 students are currently isolating at home as close contacts.
The HSE confirmed the number of pupils sent home from their studies on Monday, and said they will only be allowed to return to in-person classes when they have proof of a negative test on day 10 of their isolation.
Health officials continue to remind the public that schools remain safe in terms of Covid transmission, however, in line with the tracing method, around 15 students are usually found to be close contacts of each case reported.
Across the country, there are safety measures in place to stop the spread of Covid-19, and schools have a specific setup in place to keep staff and children safe.
As before, teachers and children in secondary schools will be required to wear face masks at all times while teaching - aside from some exceptional circumstances.
In primary school, children are not required to wear face masks, with some suggesting this rule would cause undue stress.
Students returning to both primary and secondary schools will feel as though the experience is much the same as it was before the summer holidays, however, there are a number of additional measures in place.
Some that are well known to pupils in Ireland are hand sanitising, social distancing, and extensive cleaning of classrooms, meanwhile primary schools will continue to operate with the "pod" system of grouping children together.
One of the additional changes is the placement of carbon dioxide monitors in classrooms, which allow schools to check how well ventilated a room is - as the virus spreads more easily in poorly ventilated indoor areas.
Minister for education Norma Foley confirmed weeks ago that up to 20 portable monitors would be provided to each primary school and up to 35 for schools at the post-primary level, depending on the number of students in attendance.
Teachers are reminded that to improve ventilation in rooms, you can simply open windows fully when classrooms are empty, and partially when they are in use.
Sanitising stations are also in place across all schools, and students are encouraged to use them throughout the day.
