The Irish National Teachers Organisation has called for the government to defer the latest changes in contact tracing and Covid testing for schools across the country.
The changes coming into play from Monday 27 would see the automatic covid tracing process scrapped for all childcare and school settings as well as an end to testing of asymptomatic students.
INTO has raised concern around the changes and is asking for a deferral until reliable data on outbreaks in primary schools is available.
According to reports, union representatives have insisted that if any changes are to be made, they should be done on a phased basis in line with specific data to back the safety of the plans.
In a statement today, INTO has said its concern arose after the Department of Education said there was “a deficiency in the data obtained from mass testing in primary schools” - but that they would still be proceeding to these change Covid protection measures.
A Health Protection Surveillance Centre report has shown that children of school-going age have been experiencing a spike in cases since the beginning of the new semester.
Figures released show that a total of 90 outbreaks were reported in the seven days running up to Saturday, September 18 which resulted in 412 Covid-19 cases.
The vast majority of these clusters were in primary schools, while just 11 were in post-primary and one was detected in special education.
The union has suggested that upcoming changes be implemented from Monday, November 1, when schools reopen after mid-term break, allowing time for more specific data to be analysed and for in-depth planning to commence.
“The INTO’s position is supported by other key primary and special education stakeholders.
“The INTO believes that delaying any changes until after the Mid Term break will better serve our primary schools, special schools, and local communities for the remainder of the school term.”
Among the changes set forth by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly this afternoon are:
- 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 (not including special education facilities)
- children aged 13yrs 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 13yrs 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 13yrs 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.
