Phased reopening of schools in the Republic likely to begin in weeks

by Cate McCurry, PA

The reopening of schools will be on a phased basis and will likely start from March 1, Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said.

The Cabinet sub-committee on Covid-19 is meeting today to discuss proposals of bringing Leaving Certificate students and junior and senior infants back into the classroom next month.

First and second class pupils may also return to school in the coming weeks.

Mr Martin said the “indications” are that it will likely be at the beginning of March.

Mr Martin told Live95 Limerick radio show: “We will be reopening schools on a phased basis.

“Nphet (National Public Health Emergency Team) will be making a presentation to us (today).

“The public health authorities want to do this on a gradual basis because they want to monitor the impact of increased mobilisation of people on the spread of the disease.

“Too many people coming back at the one time is just not possible because of the impact, given the nature of the variant that we now have, which is highly transmissible and more dangerous.”

Taoiseach Michael Martin

Mr Martin said the Cabinet sub-committee will today make a definitive decision on the return of junior and senior infants, as well as first and second class pupils to school.

He said the recommendation will be brought to Cabinet when it meets next week and an announcement will follow thereafter.

Mr Martin also said that the first phase of reopening schools will be monitored by public health officials for two weeks before further classes return.

Mr Martin added: “In terms of the next number of months, we’re looking at a very slow and cautious reopening (of schools).

“We want to roll out the vaccines and get as many people vaccinated as possible, that will drive down the spread.

“We have already seen in the nursing home settings and hospital settings that the outbreaks are reducing, the number of people getting the disease is reducing as a result of the first vaccine being administered.

“That does give us hope and it does give us a sense that if we are very cautious, we can keep the trajectory of the virus down.”

He also said that people are finding the current lockdown “very difficult”.

“This third wave and the lockdown associated with it is having a very significant psychological impact on people,” he added.

“On the other hand, it was tremendous to see the joy articulated by the over-85s who were vaccinated in the last number of days.

“These are people who have been essentially cocooning for 12 months.

“In May and June I think we will be in a different space because of the fact that we will have a significant number of people vaccinated.

“By mid-May we should have all over-70s vaccinated and that’s the age cohort that is most at risk from the virus and of becoming ill.”

He added, however, that he is “loath” to predict beyond the end of April.

Mr Martin said he was also concerned about the number of daily cases slowing up.

He said public health officials have a target of reducing daily cases to between 400 and 600 by the end of February.