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THE HSE HAS said that schools can share information of when there is a positive Covid-19 case in a class, if they have the parents’ consent and are GDPR compliant.
A teachers’ union said this advice was “inconsistent” with previous advice given by the Department of Education after the decision was taken to end contact tracing in school settings in September.
There has been growing criticism of the lack of contact tracing in schools, with teachers, principals and TDs saying that schools have been “left in the dark” about how Covid-19 is spreading, and expressing concern that this is disrupting children’s education.
The current surge in Covid-19 cases has been exacerbated by a shortage in substitute teachers, meaning when a teacher self-isolates with symptoms or a positive Covid-19 test, it can be difficult to find a temporary replacement.
In September, contact tracing in school settings ended in order to prevent students who were close contacts of confirmed cases from missing days in school unnecessarily.
The former head of test and trace Niamh O’Beirne explained this decision at the time, saying that there was just a 5% positivity rate among children who were close contacts of a confirmed Covid-19 case in a school setting, compared to a 25% positivity among children who are close contacts of cases in household settings.
Though teachers and opposition TDs agree that something had to change about how contact tracing operated then, they argue it shouldn’t have been completely removed.
A surge in Covid-19 cases
Of the 3,136 outbreaks that have been reported since 27 June 2021, when the fourth wave of Covid-19 began, 321, or 10% have been documented in school settings.
In a meeting last month, NPHET noted that from 7–13 October, the age group with the largest number of referrals was the 4-12-year-old age group, and that the detected rate for the 4- to 12-year-old age group is 9.4%.
In a letter to the editor published in the Sunday Independent this week, a principal wrote that due the high rate of Covid-19 cases confirmed in their school, they have decided to text all parents in a class where there has been a PCR-confirmed case.
“I simply say: ‘We have been notified of a case of Covid-19 in your child’s class. Please be vigilant for symptoms in your child.’
“Of course I shouldn’t be doing this, it’s against Department advice – but look, what’s the worst that can happen?”
Principals ‘free’ to share info if compliant
In response to these concerns put to the HSE by The Journal, a spokesperson said:
“Since the updated contact tracing guidelines were implemented on September 27th, the HSE no longer routinely shares the details cases of Covid-19 identified who have attended primary schools whilst infectious, as no further bespoke public health actions are routinely required.”
This refers to the fact that close contacts of confirmed Covid-19 cases do not need to restrict their movements if they have no symptoms, and are fully vaccinated (if eligible).
The spokesperson said: “The schools are still required to undertake the two most important actions to prevent spread of Covid-19 (and other respiratory viruses) by ensuring no-one with new acute symptoms attend class, and that all recommended infection prevention and control measures are in place to prevent spread from any asymptomatic cases who might be within the school.
However, if schools are informed by parents of a case of Covid-19, and those are parent are happy for this information to be shared, then principals are free to do that if they are satisfied it is in compliance with GDPR.
The HSE guarded only against sharing of information when specific parental consent has not been sought or all GDPR measures attended to, as any information regarding Covid-19 is no longer being requested to be shared routinely under the protection of public health.
‘Inconsistent’ with previous advice
A spokesperson for the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO), which represents over 40,000 primary school teachers across the country, said that this advice was “inconsistent” with the original guidance provided to schools by the Department of Education when contact tracing in school settings was removed in September.
“Mixed messages during a pandemic are not helpful to a school community battling an ever-deteriorating public health landscape,” they said.
In that guidance seen by The Journal, the advice says in an FAQ section that there is “no clinical need for information to be shared with contacts of cases, therefore Public Health do not recommend that you tell parents of other children that there has been a case of Covid-19 within your class / facility / group”.
Though the advice warns of the information being shared on WhatsApp groups, and mentions GDPR requirements, it does not state that information can be shared if parental consent is received and the manner in which it is done is GDPR compliant.
Symptoms of Covid-19
The INTO spokesperson also added that schools “do not have the authority to unilaterally ensure symptomatic children are kept out of the classroom”.
“Such a policy would be at variance with the government’s own policy of personal responsibility.
The abject failure of the government to run a comprehensive public awareness campaign on the key symptoms of Covid-19 among school children, has utterly failed to inform many parents of both their obligations and the specific symptoms to be aware of.
The Government and NPHET have been repeatedly emphasising that parents should keep their children at home if they have symptoms of Covid-19.
There has been some confusion around what the symptoms of Covid-19 are among children; in September questions were raised about whether a child should be kept home from school if they have a runny nose.
The HSE website states that the most common symptoms of Covid-19 among children are a high fever, a dry cough, and fatigue. Less common symptoms include a loss of taste or smell, a blocked nose, or a sore throat.
At a meeting of NPHET on Monday 18 October, the minutes note that the “recent decision to stop automatic contact tracing of children in schools” was discussed.
“Members queried whether analyses had been undertaken on possible increases in household clusters of infection and if there was any link with children attending school.
“The HPSC outlined that nationally, there had recently been two outbreaks in schools with significant case numbers reported in each case.
“Generally, outbreaks in schools have not been observed to be associated with resultant significant increases in family/household transmission.”
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Fair play to her…. The country is in good hands if the future has many more young intelligent entrepreneurs and inventors like her
Dependent on a constant stream of homeless people so plenty of business if Fine Gael remain in power all right.
A new socially progressive government which will sound the death knell for the Duffily bag though.
Fantastic young lady, good for her!
Over the last few weeks I have been out and about in Dublin mainly Grafton Street & O Connell Street,I have come across homeless people that are not skagbags or alcos. But normal working people who through no fault of their own lost their jobs relationship etc. Everytime I buy them hot food tea burger etc,The last time was on O Connell Street the lad lost his job split with the partner etc. I went into Mc Donalds ordered the lad a tea told the lad serving me that It was for a homeless person. I got the tea for free I was taken aback by this never would I have thought that with McDonald’s. I know people who are technically homeless surf couching between places. Yet again the government does nothing.
Well sais.
Good job. I do similar and was surprised at first at how they will give you things for free if you tell them but not any more. I live overseas now. Homelessness is everywhere and good people exist everywhere
So great to see a positive news story about teenagers. She is a credit to get parents and school
what a wonderful young lady and a credit to her country; a shining example to other teens who might be finding it hard to carve a positive direction in life ..
This is a great innovation but it is truly tragic that it is needed. A home is not a lot to ask for.
Fair play. Great work. Inventing the things the new real Ireland needs right now.
Would love to see the men’s sheds get involved in our main urban centres..seems tailor-made for the production and distribution locally..
Hopefully some teenage inventor / entrepreneur like Emily can present a project at the next Young Scientist Exhibition at RDS outlining how Ireland can create long-term funding to kick start an affordable housing programme to meet current rising demand.
Formulating any solution to this problem seems beyond the brain capacity of those currently at the helm at Ireland Inc.
Can some people stop making political statements on a good news story. Ir becomes very boring and repetitive. Leave those comments for political stories.
Yeah, this freedom of speech thing is getting totally out of hand.
Brilliant idea from another bright your irish youngster. Just goes to show how clever us irish really are and how far we have come as a society. It’s shows that people actually do care.
Genius I would expect nothing else from a “Limerick Lady” well done Emily you should be very proud of yourself. Good Luck in the leaving cert
Encouraging to see some our culturally enriching ‘former street-drinkers from Eastern Europe’ at last making a contribution in their host country, may many more thousands of you wonderful Eastern European street drinkers bless us it with your presence here.
It’s easy but not useful to demonise the homeless.
I couldn’t believe the negative backlash in the comments on some of the stories on this sleeping bag. They were truly nasty. Saying things like ” oh a sticking plaster product to make money off the homeless”. People were saying that homelessness shouldn’t exist and this product was somehow encouraging it. No need for authorities to do anything other than give out sleeping bags. To be honest I was livid. This girl was trying to help people on the streets right now. A practical response to the very practical problems of sleeping rough. It’s not some political football or some abstract concept. I really let fly on the haters and also told them how these bags were produced. It didn’t change their minds. Seems some people in foreign shores don’t want to actually do anything to help people sleeping rough today and tonight. They want to blame and complain but nothing more. Thankfully the younger generation like Emily Duffy give me hope for the future!!!!!!!
I was homeless for quite awhile & yes David I was a scagbag. I was homeless because drugs where an alternative to putting a rope around my neck,God forbid as some would have you believe I did just rope my self up then I’m sure you would have a comment about the land my decaying body took up & the finely hand crafted rope I waisted which could have been used to tie your small mind closer to your ass as both are as valid as each other.
Exelent I love to hear stories like this and that 15 year old kid is an inspiration to us all .great stuff
Rabble rabble Enda, rabble rabble Merkel, rabble irish water.
Sums up most people on here.
Bang on
so people from eastern Europe not that bad after all
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