Offaly primary school closes due to Covid outbreak
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A primary school in Co Offaly has been closed following an outbreak of Covid-19.
There has been a total of 23 confirmed cases of Covid-19 at Scoil Bhríde in Edenderry, and approximately additional 150 close contacts.
In a letter to parents, the HSE said it was monitoring the situation “very closely” and has been carrying out public health risk assessments at the school over the previous two days.
"A large number of children and staff have been identified as close contacts of people with Covid-19,” the letter stated.
“This has meant a number of staff members are unable to work as they are close contacts. This has made it challenging for the school to maintain safe ratios of staff to pupils.”
In a note to parents, the school said teaching will continue online for the next week, with a return to face-to-face teaching expected on Wednesday May 5.
Meanwhile, in Kildare, Patrician Secondary School in Newbridge has asked all Transition Year students to stay away from the school following a number of positive cases in the year group.
The request comes after the HSE's Public Health team identified all transition year students in the school as close contacts.
Fourth-year students at the all-boys school are required to learn remotely through Google Classroom from today until Friday, May 7 to "minimise the risk for all."
The nearby Holy Family girls secondary school has also identified two-year groups in the school as being close contacts.
In an update posted to the school's website on Friday, the school said a number of cases of Covid-19 had been reported to the school.
"In each case, the HSE Public Health Team for Schools conducts a thorough examination and identifies close contacts. The HSE advise the appropriate length of time to stay out of school and the necessary follow-up steps to take."
"We fully appreciate that this is a worrying time for all. If the HSE identify a school close contact to us, we will be in contact, via the [school] app, as soon as we receive instruction to do so," they said.