In a bid to allay fears among teachers, parents and students, Dr Ronan Glynn said however that schools will reopen in as safe a way as possible.
In an open letter to parents, guardians, teachers and school staff, Dr Glynn said he is “very aware” of their worries about the reopening of schools this week.
“This concern is natural and is to be fully expected after a period of six months during which we have all had to adapt to the challenges posed by Covid-19,” he said.
He said the decision to reopen schools has not been taken lightly and has been based on guidance by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
He said the decision is also based on scientific evidence regarding the risk of Covid-19 in school children and staff, the experience of other countries that have not closed, or have reopened schools, as well as Ireland’s experience having reopened childcare settings and summer camps since June.
Many primary and secondary schools will reopen their doors to staff and students this week following six months of closure.
There are no zero risk options for reopening schools.
“International evidence shows us that child-to-child and child-to-adult transmission of Covid-19 in schools is uncommon,” Dr Glynn added.
“In addition, our own experience to date in Ireland, and indeed that reported internationally, demonstrates that for the overwhelming majority of children who are diagnosed with Covid-19, their symptoms will be mild.
“The importance of schools for the overall health and wellbeing of children cannot be overstated, and the risk of Covid-19 has been carefully weighed against the very real harm that can be caused by sustained school closures.
“Schools play a fundamental role in the social life of children, they are where children are educated, make friends, share interests, learn social skills like self-confidence and empathy, and participate in sport and cultural activities.
“Of course, as we continue to navigate our way through this pandemic, there are no zero risk options for reopening schools or indeed any other environment.
“The aim, therefore, is to reopen in as safe a way as possible by ensuring that all appropriate public health measures such as physical distancing, hand washing and respiratory hygiene are implemented where appropriate.”
He said that schools are at the heart of communities.
He urged parents to play a key role in keeping the level of Covid-19 in the community low.
“If all of us continue to make small changes to the way we live, we can – together – starve this virus of opportunities to transmit,” Dr Glynn added.
“While it is OK to send your child to school or childcare if they only have a runny nose or a sneeze, if you have any concerns that your child has symptoms of Covid-19 – fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell – then please keep them at home until you have spoken with your GP by phone.
“There will be cases of Covid-19 among children over the coming days and weeks, as there have been throughout this pandemic to date.
“But when this happens our public health teams in the HSE will respond and liaise closely with the school involved and ensure that all necessary measures are taken to protect other students and school staff.”
Information is available at gov.ie/backtoschool and hse.ie.
