HSE reveals latest Covid outbreak figures for schools
12 Were Specifically Coughlan Week, Jim Outbreaks These With Last Schools Of Primary To Show Schools Picture: Figures New 30 Linked To Linked
Just 12 outbreaks were linked to primary schools last week, despite five- to 12-year-olds having the highest incidence rate of Covid-19 of all the age groups.
New figures from the HSE's Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) show 30 outbreaks were linked to schools last week, with 12 of these linked specifically to primary schools.
The figures show 15 were linked to special schools, one was linked to post-primary, and two others were linked to non-specified schools.
Separate figures published by the HPSC on Wednesday show that 7,359 five to 12-year-olds tested positive for Covid-19 last week. Primary school-age children, those between the ages of five and 12, had an incidence rate of 1341.2, the highest rate out of every age group.
Primary school-age children, those between the ages of five and 12, had an incidence rate of 1341.2, the highest rate out of every age group.
On Monday, September 27, the automatic contact tracing for asymptomatic cases of Covid-19 for children in primary schools ceased.
In the three weeks prior to this, public health linked more than 900 cases of Covid-19 to 179 school outbreaks. In the nine weeks since this policy change in regards to close contacts of children, 192 outbreaks have been linked to schools.
The total number of school outbreaks recorded so far during the fourth wave of Covid-19 stands at 441. The weekly epidemiology report on Covid outbreaks and clusters notes that regional departments of public health are currently prioritising public health risk assessments and investigations in areas with the greatest clinical need, or who benefit most from public health intervention.
“For this reason, outbreaks in some settings may be underestimated in this report.”
At the beginning of November, a further 32 outbreaks associated with schools that occurred during May and June this year were retrospectively notified.
This week, Hans Kluge, the WHO regional director for Europe, called for “Covid-safe” learning for young children to avoid school closures.
“It is not unusual today to see two to three times higher incidence [of Covid] among young children than in the adult population. The health risks extend beyond the children themselves. As school holidays approach, we must also acknowledge that children contaminate their parents and grandparents at home, with a 10 times increased risk for these adults to develop severe disease, be hospitalised, or die when non-vaccinated.
"The use of masks and ventilation and regular testing should be a standard at all primary schools, and vaccinating children should be discussed and considered nationally.”