Education Minister Norma Foley is braced for a wave of Covid cases in schools when they reopen.
The minister is beefing up the resources that her department provides to the dedicated HSE school-support teams to ensure there is a timely response where a positive case is detected.
School inspectors have been working with the HSE teams since the end of October, but more are being assigned to the task and they will also put in longer hours.
Overall, the plan is to increase the capacity of teams by 70pc in the fortnight around the reopening and the weeks immediately afterwards.
Covid-19: Laois primary school closes following 13 positive cases Information campaign due in new year aimed at keeping children with symptoms out of school
Mon, Dec 21, 2020, 07:41 Updated: Mon, Dec 21, 2020, 07:42
A primary school in Co Laois has closed on advice from public health authorities due to an outbreak of 13 confirmed cases of Covid-19.
PortlaoiseEducate TogetherNational School, which has more than 400 pupils, told parents over the weekend that the school will close and lessons will take place online on Monday and Tuesday of this week.
Last week, the school’s principal Sinead Harte expressed frustration that the schools had been refused permission to close after 11 cases were confirmed, resulting in more than 60 close contacts. This, in turn, led to four classes at the school being asked to stay at home.
Primary school in Laois closes doors for Christmas after dramatic Covid-19 outbreak
The school was originally told to remain open last week despite an earlier spate of cases hit the school
Portlaoise Educate Together National School has closed after 16 positive cases were reported (Image: Google Maps)
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