Aibreán Ó Connalláin revisits the available data on Covid levels in schools
Please read my previous article on the lack of daily Covid data from schools here.
Mass Testing Figures
The weekly reports on mass testing in schools are giving a better indication of cases within school aged children from as they give figures for Covid levels from ages 0 to 18 years old.
However none of the daily reports give an indication on daily cases or Covid levels among teachers.
NI students move online after Christmas
Post primary students in Northern Ireland are due to move their classes online from 25th January. With non exam years being allowed to learn from home temporarily up until half term.
Peter Weir, Northern Ireland’s Education Minister said primary schools would open as usually but with a track and trace system in place. As well as stricter rules on face coverings, school transportation and at drop off and pick up.
Northern Ireland will face a six weekend lockdown from 26th December. While in Ireland Professor Phillip Nolan said the country was now in a third wave of Covid.
School closure confusion
Norma Foley confirmed last week that schools would not be closing before Christmas despite two attempted school closures in Mayo and Kerry last week and one closure in Donegal last week and a school closure in Laois today. Lessons in the school in Laois went online for today (Monday 21st December) and Tuesday (22nd December) after 13 cases were reported.
The principal had called for the school to be closed last week when there had been 11 confirmed cases and 60 close contacts however the full closure only came at the weekend.
Carl O’Brien in The Irish Times notes a lack of consistency in the threshold for school closures as Claremorris Boys National School in Co Mayo was forced to reopen with 16 cases while Scoil Mhuire Killorglin in Co Kerry closed after 17 cases had been recorded.
Schools told to prepare for closures
Extra.ie say they have seen a circular from the Department of Education advising schools to prepare for school closures in January. The document says the decision to be closed will be based on the advice of NPHET.
The circular also says the transmission rate within schools was: “much lower than the rate currently in the community.”
This morning Simon Coveney told Claire Byrne that extending the school holidays after Christmas would be highly unlikely.
Back to normal?
However Professor Antony Staines from DCU believes that Ireland could be back to normal by March if schools didn’t reopen after Christmas.
Updated Figures
Since December 1st the percentage of Covid cases by age shows a jump in the school age groups 0-4 years: by 0.1 5-14 years: by 0.41while the percentage of cases among 15-24 fell: by -0.15.
Overall the percentage of Covid cases by age of those aged 0-24 rose by 0.36%.
Since December 1st the percentage of Covid cases by age shows a decrease in the percentage of case among those over 25.
- 25-34: -0.03
- 35-44: 0
- 45-54: -0.04
- 55-64: -0.05
- 65-74: -0.06
- 75-85: -0.06
- 85+: -0.1
Overall the percentage of Covid cases by age of those aged 25+ decreased by by -0.34%.
Sources
Carl O’Brien writing for the Irish Times: Here and here
Eva Wall writing for Extra.ie
HSE Mass School Testing Weekly Figures
Órla Ryan writing for TheJournal.ie
Self reported parent school figures compiled by Martina Broe
https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2020/1221/1185670-ni-covid/
L'Ecrivain Reticent 