A large outbreak of Covid-19 among students and staff at a school in Co Cork has led to hundreds of parents keeping their children at home.
Scoil Bhríde in Rathcormac, Co Cork previously told parents the school may be forced to close in the coming days due to the “serious outbreak of Covid”.
The Irish Examiner reports many parents have now opted to keep their children from school, amid delays in identifying cases and close contacts due to the ongoing disruption to the HSE's IT systems caused by last week's cyberattack.
On account of the IT delays, efforts to identify the exact number of cases associated with the outbreak have also been affected.
The school's Board of Management confirmed seven class groups have been impacted by the outbreak and four entire classes are now restricting their movements.
Cases of the virus have also been identified in three secondary schools in nearby Fermoy.
In a follow-up letter to parents on Monday night, the Scoil Bhríde principal said the school remains officially open, however, added: "We do understand that some families may decide to keep children at home from school due to the current situation."
