The number of Covid-19 cases identified in schools last week more than tripled from the week before.
110 cases were detected following the mass testing of schools in the week ending March 20th, according to the HSE’s weekly Covid-19 mass testing report for schools and childcare facilities.
It comes after 44 cases were identified in the prior week ending March 13th.
The data is the result of close contact testing, undertaken after a confirmed case of Covid-19 attended a facility during the infectious time period.
In the week ending March 20th, mass testing was carried out at a total of 183 schools, including 120 primary schools, 52 post-primary schools and 11 special education schools.
Of a total 4,062 people tested in these facilities, 110 were found to be positive for Covid-19 – positivity rate of 2.7 per cent.
This compares to a positivity rate of 2.4 per cent the week before.
Childcare facilities
In the week ending March 20th, mass testing was also carried out at 71 childcare facilities.
Of a total 1,236 people tested, 119 were found to be positive for Covid-19 – a positivity rate of 9.6 per cent.
It comes as a slight increase in Covid-19 infections among children is being monitored by the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet).
On Monday, Professor Philip Nolan, who chairs Nphet's Epidemiological Modelling Group, said that “right now there continue to be very few cases associated with outbreaks in schools.”
This is “almost undetectably low”, compared to situations where children are infected with the virus at home, Prof Nolan said.
Prof Nolan said 50 to 60 cases are being recorded in children of primary school age daily, however, he said only about 10 per cent are associated with school outbreaks.
