Covid infection has spread within 70 of the country’s 4,000 schools, health chiefs believe. Public health teams have carried out risk assessments and recommended follow-up testing of close contacts in almost 600 schools where Covid was identified. HSE Public Health Specialist Dr Abigail Collins said today that they believe that in 12.5pc of these cases - one in eight – there was spread of infection within the school setting. The figure of 70 – based on data from seven of the eight Public Health departments - amounts to less than 2pc of all schools, over the eight weeks since term started. Dr Collins said while the HSE had conducted a Public Health Risk Assessment (PHRA) in 15pc of the country’s 4,000 schools, it meant that were 85pc that had not been disrupted by Covid at all.

Source: Irish Independent October 29, 2020 17:01 UTC