Schools and Covid 19 (part 5) **Mod warnings in OP**

The CMO has already told the government there will be no other restrictions this week, an acknowledgement that there is really no point with so much Omicron about. Some NPHET meetings are just ongoing reviews.

Norna couldn't make up her mind about anything she's afraid to step out of line and will do as she is told.

The problem isn't lack of clarity it's lack of planning and preparation. They expected the vaccine to work and stop covid it didn't work out as planned and they had no plan be like hepa filters in schools.

We can count or blessing Omicron is mild compared to Delta, what if it hadn't come along and we were still dealing with Delta or if another strain came along instead of Omicron.

Restaurants and Cinemas after 8pm

Thats two examples

Leaving aside all the other restrictions we face on a daily basis

And the knock on effect they are having leading to business closures

So schools should be safe to stay open until at 8 pm then too, right? 😃

Just back from a jog - I counted 11 teens hanging out on a street corner, practically on top of one another. Of the 11, one was wearing a mask.

They are obviously entitled to do what they want, but if we are worried about staff shortages, that shortage is going to come about as a result of high transmission. There will be higher transmission in the community if schools don't reopen in my opinion. The parents of those 11 are not going to suddenly stop their children socialising (as is their entitlement, no judgement) on Thursday if it were announced that schools would remain closed.

I feel lucky that I'm a secondary teacher - I also passed one of the local creches who were out for a walk and the poor woman couldn't keep the children out of her personal space at all - in fairness, at least in secondary they are mostly far enough away from us and they are all masked and some are also vaxxed and possibly boostered.

Principles also have flexibility to manage there school year. Over the last 30 years the Christmas holidays have been reduced from being nearly 3 weeks to now barly two weeks. Easter holidays used to be 10 days now 16 days. At the same time you have mid term breaks.

How was it at the most health riskiest time of the year we allowed the holidays to be shortened to such a short time frame.

The government has been consistent that school will reopen. Teachers unions have tried to bully them into extending the school holidays. If schools close now the days must be made up during the spring break or Easter.

If the schools close due to teacher shortages, we will not be making up missed days.

I was very surprised to hear the government are going ahead with the school opening. I was trying to figure out why the change in their behaviour. The only thing I can think of is that it is actually much easier for government to open up schools and go for quick herd immunity than organise hepafilters and sort out air hygiene.

Magically like schools, school staff wil be deemed "safe" and no more isolating needed 🤣🤣🤣 it's so stupid I could see it happening.

Doubtful but it should be short term anyway with this expected to peak pretty soon.

It's not just teachers. Nurses, Hse staff, Fire Brigade, Gardaí.

Don't you get it? It won't be perfect every time. But if they implement a 5 day isolation after a pcr for the above, the science says the overwhelming majority will be able to return to work, no problems.

You might have anomalies here and there, but deal with those on an individual basis.

I don't think it's outrageous that education, security and health care are prioritised in so far as possible.

O Rourke is two ends of a b**locks but I agree with him on this one.

We need to get on with this, just drive on. Life is getting closer to normal, a closure of schools is a backwards step. Unbelievably detrimental to the students too.

Ive what I assume is Omicron here and it’s a complete farce having to stay at home for this. A runny nose and tiny tickly cough. Enough is enough. This is all over bar the shouting (shouting being the ridiculous testing and isolation requirements).

Which hospitals are shut down?

Yup, you did say “schools will be shut” and that “hospitals are in that very situation right now”. I was wondering which hospitals you meant. This is what you said:

“The science says a positive case needs 10 days isolation, you send someone back into school after 5 and they are probably still contagious, spread it to more staff who then will be out for 5 days and rinse and repeat until schools will be shut as there will be no staff available. Hospitals are in that very situation right now.”