INTO concern for contact tracing at schools

Minister accepted changes to come into effect from September 27

Proposed changes to contact tracing arrangements in primary schools from next Monday should be deferred until reliable data on outbreaks in primary schools is available.

Thats according to the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO), speaking after Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly accepted recommendations in relation to measures for contact tracing and testing for childcare and primary schools. The new measures have been made following discussions with the National Public Health Emergency Team and the Chief Medical Officer.

Union representatives insisted at a tense weekly meeting with the Department of Education and public health advisors that any change to risk assessments, contact tracing and restriction of movement protocols must be phased in and based on complete data on mass testing in schools.

Changes

But the new rules, being implemented from September 27 include:

- Automatic contact tracing of close contacts in childcare facilities and primary education will be discontinued (not including special education facilities).

- Testing of asymptomatic close contacts in childcare facilities and primary education will be discontinued (not including special education facilities).

- Children aged 12yrs or under, who are identified as close contacts in childcare, educational settings, special education settings or other non-household settings and who are asymptomatic will no longer be required to restrict movements, unless indicated by the local public health team.

- Children aged 12yrs or under who are identified as household close contacts in household settings will still be required to restrict movements and get tested, regardless of symptomatic status.

- Public health advice remains that any child aged 12yrs or under who displays symptoms consistent with COVID-19 should rapidly self-isolate and not attend school or to socialise until 48 hours after they are symptom free.

Confusion

The INTO though believes the new rules could cause mass confusion for school principals, staff, parents and children, the union believes, given that it was acknowledged by the Department of Education there is a deficiency in the data obtained from mass testing in primary schools.

The union has itself identified a disparity between the official HSE figures which show over four thousand children (aged 5 – 12) contracting Covid in the last fortnight, compared with the much smaller number identified in weekly school testing reports issued by the HSPC since schools reopened.

Disparity

The HSE reported this week that between September 6 and 19 there were 4170 positive cases in 5- to 12-year-olds, yet the data provided by the HPSC covering August 29 to September 18 shows Covid detected in only 741 children after mass testing in 788 primary schools. However, two weeks ago, the HSE reported outbreaks in more than 800 primary schools, say the INTO.

The INTO is now proposing that any changes should be made from Monday, November 1 when schools reopen after mid-term break. This, the union says, would allow time for better data to be obtained and sufficient time for considered analysis and to allow for the proposed changes to be implemented in an orderly fashion.

The INTO’s position is supported by other key primary and special education stakeholders. The INTO believes that delaying any changes until after the Mid Term break will better serve our primary schools, special schools and local communities for the remainder of the school term.

Minister's statement

In a statement after announcing the changes being made, Minister Donnelly said: “Throughout the pandemic, we have done our utmost to protect our school communities from the serious risks posed by COVID-19.”

Pointing to the latest data which indicates that schools continue to be a low-risk environment for transmission of COVID-19, he added: “As such, I am happy to be in a position today to announce these significant updates to contact tracing in our school environments.

“If you have any concerns or notice symptoms in members of your family, the public health advice remains to self-isolate and arrange a test as soon as possible. You should not attend school, or work or socialise,” the minister concluded.