Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 January 2021
499. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education if secondary school students over 18 years of age and parents and guardians of students in primary and secondary schools can opt out of the contact tracing process and thus their school may not be informed if their student receives a positive Covid-19 test result; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1378/21]
View answerSchool communities have worked incredibly hard to operate safely under Covid-19. The Government has always been guided by public health advice in relation to what is safe in schools. NPHET remain of the view that schools are low risk environments but recognise there is a need to reduce activity and movement to curb the spread of the virus. Regrettably all schools will remain closed to students from Monday 11 January.
In terms of what happens when a child attending school tests positive, the HSE will inform the school principal if the child was in the school in the infectious period regardless of consent. In these circumstances the HSE will conduct a Public Health Risk Assessment with the school principal. This is usually undertaken the same day they are notified, but it may be the following day.
Public Health will work with the school principal to identify the close contacts and all close contact will be informed and scheduled for testing and asked to restrict their movements. Parent/guardians will be informed if their child is a close contact.
The wider school community can be informed that the school is working with public health who are guiding the school through the actions they need to take to protect staff, pupils and the school community. 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.
