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Covid-19 Pandemic

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2020

Tuesday, 3 November 2020

Questions (1104)

Steven Matthews

Question:

1104. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health if clarity will be provided to teachers who are in close contact with a student in their class who is diagnosed with Covid-19; and if they are deemed to be a close contact by the HSE that would require notification, a period of self-isolation and a test. [32831/20]

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Written answers

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has published Guidance for Educational Settings relating to the management of Covid-19 in school settings.

This guidance, which includes protocols relating to the management of close contacts, is available at https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/guidance/educationguidance/

This guidance defines a close contact as any individual who has had greater than 15 minutes face-to-face (less than 2 meters distance) contact with a case, in any setting.

This definition has been developed with reference to European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. The actual identification of close contacts within schools follows a Public Health Risk Assessment.

The Deputy may wish to note that schools must have a Covid-19 Response Plan and a Covid policy in place. Up-to-date Government advice and resources for schools, parents and students in the context of COVID-19, including advice on Covid-19 planning is published at https://www.gov.ie/backtoschool.

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