Since September, there have been 246 school outbreaks – that is where there are two or more cases, although not necessarily as a result of transmission within the school. They spiked at 46 outbreaks for a couple of weeks in October before Level 5 restrictions were rolled out and dropped to 13 and 14 a week before the recent lifting of the lockdown. They were back up to 19 last week, mirroring the wider trend.
A Covid outbreak in the community, whether in a private house (the most likely location) or some other setting, can quickly find its way into school. When it does, the public health response kicks in, although there are still some complaints that it doesn’t always happen quickly enough.