Schools closed until February? (part 3)

km79

deiseindublin wrote: »

I couldn't find it on DES site.

https://assets.gov.ie/109646/599288e2-99b5-4813-a45a-31dfa5ff5b9f.pdf

Back to school site

km79

“ 18:00
A new variant of the coronavirus spreading rapidly in Britain carries mutations that could mean children are as susceptible to becoming infected with it as adults - unlike previous strains, scientists have said.

Briefing reporters on the latest findings, scientists from the UK government's New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG) who are tracking the variant said it had swiftly become the dominant strain in the south of Britain, and could soon do the same across the country.

"We now have high confidence that this variant does have a transmission advantage over other virus variants that are currently in the UK," said Peter Horby, a professor of emerging infectious diseases at Oxford University and chair of NERVTAG.

"There is a hint that it has a higher propensity to infect children," said Neil Ferguson, a professor and infectious disease epidemiologist at Imperial College London and also a member of NERVTAG.

"We haven't established any sort of causality on that, but we can see it in the data," Ferguson said.

"We will need to gather more data to see how it behaves going forward."

ACitizenErased

Posted here the other day about my cousins whole class being isolated after the teacher tested positive - all 20+ of them negative thank god.

vid36

Folks it seems people missed the really big news today, Dr Holohan saying there was no guarantee schools would reopen in January and that is was dependent on transmission levels. That marks a huge shift.

wirelessdude01

vid36 wrote: »

Folks it seems people missed the really big news today, Dr Holohan saying there was no guarantee schools would reopen in January and that is was dependent on transmission levels. That marks a huge shift.

He kinda intimated the same thing last week. Can possibly see primary schools and the two exam years years being keep as in person but that the others will be sent online. All remote teaching to happen from school.

selectamatic

The talk of a European wide response if it comes to pass will put quite a bit of political pressure on the government to decide upon education going remote imo.

Obviously this would only be recommendations but if the rest of Europe go the remote route and the UK do then our government will surely go with the flow too in some shape or form.

khalessi

If the new strain is as virulent to children as they say, the idea of keeping primary in would be ridiculous

Jinglejangle69

khalessi wrote: »

If the new strain is as virulent to children as they say, the idea of keeping primary in would be ridiculous

WHO have says the new strain isn't as serious as been made out.

More hysteria.

wirelessdude01

khalessi wrote: »

If the new strain is as virulent to children as they say, the idea of keeping primary in would be ridiculous

I've seen chatter again about masks for senior primary classes. Now it's just chatter online but I do think it'll have to be considered if the new variant is anything like has been claimed in the southeast of England.

blanch152

ACitizenErased wrote: »

Posted here the other day about my cousins whole class being isolated after the teacher tested positive - all 20+ of them negative thank god.

Once again that shows how well schools have managed the virus and how little it spreads once the correct precautions are taken. To date, children have been better off in school than not.

The latest version of the virus would give pause if reports of its potency are true. However, there is now plenty of time over Christmas to assess this. While our teachers are taking a well-deserved holiday, our public health specialists, to whom we owe enormous thanks will be working hard throughout the school holidays to assess this future risk.

Thats me

blanch152 wrote: »

Once again that shows how well schools have managed the virus and how little it spreads once the correct precautions are taken.

If the teacher would be found murderer, but poster's cousins still alive - this would show how well schools have managed a crime..

JimmyVik

This is all bull. Using a new strain now as the reason to close schools. They have been too pig headed to climb down from their position that schools arent spreading the virus.
This gives them a way to climb down from their high horses and close schools without their folly being apparent. They will grasp it with both hands.
I still think their should be an inquiry into the way the gave out information and treated contacts in schools. This info needs to be out in the open.
They purposely manipulated close contact rules and obscured the info given to the public about schools. Someone needs to answer for that.

JimmyVik

Blaaz_ wrote: »

But is it spreadable by children as previous wasnt??

Given reports of entire classrooms of kids testing positive over there surely lends credence to it? (Thankfully all have been healthy!)

Easy to do antibody tests on a few test schools and see how many kids have had the virus in those schools but not been detected. They wont do that though. It would show up their testing and tracking strategy in schools for what it is.

combat14

primary school laois closed yesterday with 13 positive cases so far - happy xmas how are ya......

joe40

The schools have been open since September. The current spike in numbers coincides with increased socialising in December, nothing to do with school.
The schools staying open has been a success due to the hard work of school staff and students themselves.
I accept contact tracing should have been better, but as a parent I'm still delighted my kids have had uninterrupted school since Sept.

If the numbers do get totally out of control then maybe school closures will be considered, that seems to be the mood music at the moment.

Thats me

combat14 wrote: »

primary school laois closed yesterday with 13 positive cases so far - happy xmas how are ya......

Is it just looking like that or now we have more frequent school closures than during period between 10 and 30 of October when rates were also above 700?

wirelessdude01

Thats me wrote: »

Is it just looking like that or now we have more frequent school closures than during period between 10 and 30 of October when rates were also above 700?

Clusters/outbreaks in schools, numbers in them seem to be getting bigger. Number of factors could be at play here. Dept have indicated that windows only need to be open while students are outside. Also students not getting out as much due to the weather.

JimmyVik

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Clusters/outbreaks in schools, numbers in them seem to be getting bigger. Number of factors could be at play here. Dept have indicated that windows only need to be open while students are outside. Also students not getting out as much due to the weather.

I think HSE are being forced/embarrassed into doing more testing around positive cases in schools.

Local school here have been asking the parents to get their kids to their GP to get tested when a positive clase in the class, even if the kid was out when symptoms appeared. HSE asrent testing them so, school is letting parents know they can go themselves. Some positives coming back from that "private" testing.

average_runner

combat14 wrote: »

primary school laois closed yesterday with 13 positive cases so far - happy xmas how are ya......

Cases as a result of the school or result of infection in their home or community?

average_runner

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Clusters/outbreaks in schools, numbers in them seem to be getting bigger. Number of factors could be at play here. Dept have indicated that windows only need to be open while students are outside. Also students not getting out as much due to the weather.

So the contact tracing has shown primary school kids are passing to each other not coming from the community?

combat14

average_runner wrote: »

Cases as a result of the school or result of infection in their home or community?

think all 13 kids are from the same family .. definitely not school infection

Thats me

average_runner wrote: »

Cases as a result of the school or result of infection in their home or community?

This is why i've asked question above. If on the same average rate of infections now we have more massive and frequent outbreaks in schools this could mean schools became more vulnerable. Or just may be testing being done more carefully now and more cases being found. Regardless of specifics of particular case.

political analyst

Is this obsession with keeping schools open during the second and third waves of the pandemic a particularly Irish thing?

jimmytwotimes 2013

political analyst wrote: »

Is this obsession with keeping schools open during the second and third waves of the pandemic a particularly Irish thing?

Flaws in Irish education system leads to this pressure to keep the schools open.

No continuous assessment leads to pressure to keep 2nd level open for the LC.

Calculated grade system did not work well last summer.

They could go with reduced capacity while keeping LCs at school but, for some reason, this hasn't been considered.

wirelessdude01

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

They could go with reduced capacity while keeping LCs at school but, for some reason, this hasn't been considered.

Personally can see all primary and the exam classes remaining in school while the others go remote. All teaching to happen in the classroom. Also can see a mask recommendation imcoming for 4th, 5th and 6th class.

political analyst

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Personally can see all primary and the exam classes remaining in school while the others go remote. All teaching to happen in the classroom. Also can see a mask recommendation imcoming for 4th, 5th and 6th class.

And what happens for those who don't have sufficient broadband (or no broadband at all) at home?

blanch152

Thats me wrote: »

If the teacher would be found murderer, but poster's cousins still alive - this would show how well schools have managed a crime..

I really don't understand the hyperbole.

Teachers are not dying from the coronavirus, but health care workers and meat factory workers are, yet we don't have hundreds of posts wanting hospitals and meat factories closed.

frank8211

political analyst wrote: »

And what happens for those who don't have sufficient broadband (or no broadband at all) at home?

What happens when they want shopping, netflix , video calls with friends, tinder etc

wirelessdude01

political analyst wrote: »

And what happens for those who don't have sufficient broadband (or no broadband at all) at home?

That's above my pay grade. I'm only surmising what I think could happen.

Kids in my own class are beginning to ask why the government aren't asking them to wear masks to help protect each other. When you have 11 and 12 year olds questioning things then you have to wonder.

political analyst

frank8211 wrote: »

What happens when they want shopping, netflix , video calls with friends, tinder etc

Many homes in this country don't have the means for video calls or Netflix or online shopping. The restrictions mean that going to the library isn't an option.