Tracing for young kids

CMO ends contact Taoiseach: No issue with jabs for children

COVID-19 contact tracing is set to stop in childcare and primary schools in Ireland.

Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said evidence indicates that schools are a low risk setting for the transmission of the virus among school-going children.

He described now as the “right time” to evolve the approach to contact tracing while maintaining infection prevention and control measures in educational settings.

Dr Holohan said the return of children and young people to school earlier this month as association with a “significant increase” in the numbers of children referred for testing. primary education will no longer be necessary.

He said children aged 12 or under, who are identified as close contacts in childcare and educational settings or other non-household settings and who are asymptomatic will no longer be required to routinely restrict movements.

Cases in Special Educational Needs settings, and respite care should have a Public Health Risk Assessment which may still require children to be identifiedas close contacts, be referred for testing and have their movements restricted.