'It is inevitable' - CMO believes children will pick up Covid from household contacts

Children will inevitably pick up infection from household contacts in the coming weeks due to the rising number of Covid cases in the community. 

That's according to Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan, who released a statement yesterday reminding people to continue to minimise mixing indoors with people from other households. 

He said, "We saw a significant reduction in incidence of COVID-19 in primary school going children through December. However, given the very high and rising incidence of COVID-19 across all age groups in the community, it is inevitable that children will pick up this infection from household contacts in the days and weeks ahead. 

"We also know, as a result, that there will be cases and outbreaks in schools and childcare settings." 

However, he went on to say that schools are a lower risk environment for transmission. 

He said, "The Irish and international experience of the pandemic continues to give us reason to believe that schools are a lower risk environment for the transmission of COVID-19 and that the majority of children who are infected experience a mild form of this disease." 

His comments come among calls from teachers' unions the government to rethink its approach to the return of schools. 

Schools are expected to reopen tomorrow (January 6) as planned. 

After a meeting with government officials yesterday (January 4), the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) has confirmed in a statement that teachers will be provided with medical grade face masks. 

However, the organisation has rejected findings of the public health review which concluded yesterday that contact tracing should not be reinstated at this time. 

INTO stated demands would continue to be made to reinstate this "essential support".