Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 October 2020
20. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education the position with regard to Covid-19 testing in schools for school age children in which appropriate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30096/20]
View answerCovid 19 testing, and the broader public health response to Covid 19 infections in a school is led by the local HSE Public Health team. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre and the HSE have published guidance for managing potential cases of COVID-19 in educational settings, which includes the testing strategy within schools.
All schools were provided with the HSE document titled: “Schools Pathway for Covid-19, the Public Health approach”, setting out the approach to managing isolated confirmed cases of COVID-19 within the school community, and also the principles that will underpin the management of outbreaks or potential outbreaks and the aligned testing strategy within an educational facility.
My Department has worked with the HSE Department of Public Health to ensure that testing is prioritised for those close contacts within the school community of confirmed COVID-19 cases.
It is important to note that the response to confirmed cases or outbreaks of COVID-19 in the community or in a school is the responsibility of, and will be led and managed by, Public Health HSE. All decisions as to appropriate actions following a confirmed case or outbreak will be made by their teams in the context of a full Public Health Risk Assessment procedure. This involves the HSE Department of Public Health liaising directly with the designated school contact, usually the school principal.
My Department is working closely with the HSE Department of Public Health to ensure that public health measures are acted upon speedily by schools and areas of concerns raised by schools are addressed.
The key challenge for schools is to work to ensure that the virus is not introduced and that control measures are in place in the event of this happening. My Department has published helpful guidance for the safe and sustainable reopening of schools, in line with public health advice, including guidance on the completion and implementation of a Covid-19 response plan by schools. These plans set out the practical steps schools must take to minimise the risk of introduction and transmission of Covid-19 in the school environment and provide for the safe operation of schools.
Where a Covid 19 infection is confirmed in a school Public Health can recommend a range of actions, such as the exclusion of a pod or class. Where a number of close contacts of a confirmed case are recommended to be tested for Covid 19 those swabs are treated as a batch. This allows all contacts in a school to receive their results quickly and efficiently.
