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COVID 19 -
We would like to advise you of the following important information in relation to COVID 19, please take some time to read through and familiarise yourselves with it. Please click on the link below to see the most up to date information as provided by the Department of Education.
Updated Government Advice on COVID-
Infection Prevention Control Measures -
One of the key messages to manage the risks of COVID-
A range of essential control measures have been implemented to reduce the risk of the spread of Covid-
It is critical that staff, pupils, parents and visitors are aware of, and adhere to, the control measures outlined and that they fully cooperate with all health and safety requirements.
Staff should note that they have a legal obligation under Section 13 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 to comply with health and safety requirements and to
take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves, their colleagues and other parties within the workplace.
How to Minimise the Risk of Introduction of COVID-
Promote awareness of COVID-
Advise staff and pupils that have symptoms not to attend school, to phone their
doctor and to follow HSE guidance on self-
Advise staff and pupils to self-
Advise staff and pupils not to return to or attend school in the event of the following:
if they are identified by the HSE as a close contact of a confirmed case of
COVID-
if they live with someone who has symptoms of the virus
If they have travelled outside of Ireland; in such instances staff are advised to
consult and follow latest Government advice in relation to foreign travel.
Advise staff and pupils that develop symptoms at school to bring this to the attention of the Principal promptly;
Ensure that staff and pupils know the protocol for managing a suspected case of COVID-
Advise staff and pupils to cooperate with any public health officials and the school for contact tracing purposes and follow any public health advice in the event of a case or outbreak in the school;
Everyone entering the school building needs to perform hand hygiene with a hand sanitiser;
Visitors to the school during the day should be by prior arrangement and should be received at a specific contact point;
Physical distancing (of 2m) should be maintained between staff and visitors where possible.
5.1) Know the Symptoms of COVID-
In order to prevent the spread of COVID-
High temperature
Cough
Shortness of breath or breathing difficulties Loss of smell, of taste or distortion of taste
Infection with the virus that causes COVID-
Common symptoms of coronavirus include:
a fever (high temperature -
a new cough -
shortness of breath or breathing difficulties.
loss or change in your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you
cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal
If you have any common symptoms of COVID-
Getting an early diagnosis means, you can get the help you need and take steps to avoid spreading the virus, if you have it.
For the complete list of symptoms, please refer to the HSE Website.
COVID-
COVID Tracker app is a free and easy-
alert you if you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-
keep other app users safe by alerting them if you test positive for COVID-
give you advice on what to do if you have symptoms
You can download the free app from Apple's AppStore or the GooglePlay store
5.2) Respiratory Hygiene
Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with a tissue or your bent elbow when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately and safely into a nearby bin.
By following good respiratory hygiene, you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and Covid-
5.3) Hand Hygiene
Staff and pupils should understand why hand hygiene is important as well as when and how to wash their hands.
Schools should promote good hygiene and display posters throughout the schools on how to wash your hands. Follow the HSE guidelines on handwashing:
https://www2.hse.ie/wellbeing/how-
Hand hygiene can be achieved by hand washing or use of a hand sanitiser (when hands look clean).
Use of hand hygiene facilities including wash hand basins needs to be managed so as to avoid congregation of pupils and staff waiting to use wash hand basins and hand sanitisers.
There is a requirement for access to hand washing facilities after activities that are likely to soil hands, for example playing outside or certain sporting activities as hand sanitiser does not work on dirty hands.
Hand sanitiser dispensers can be deployed more readily at exit and entry points of schools and classrooms and care should be taken to clean up any hand sanitiser spills to prevent risks of falls.
Warm water is preferable to hot or cold water for hand washing but if the plumbing system only supplies cold water, a soap that emulsifies easily in cold water should be used.
Wash hand basins, running water, liquid soap and hand drying facilities should be provided in all toilets, kitchens and any food preparation areas.
Hand washing facilities should be maintained in good condition and supplies of soap and towels should be topped up regularly to encourage everyone to use them.
Hot air dryers are an acceptable alternative for hand drying but must be regularly maintained. There is no evidence that hand dryers are associated with increased risk of transmission of COVID-
Posters displaying hand washing techniques and promoting hand washing should be placed on walls adjacent to washing facilities and can be laminated or placed in a plastic sleeve.
Hand sanitiser is suitable for use for hand hygiene when hands are not visibly soiled (look clean).
Evidence of effectiveness is best for alcohol based hand rubs but non-
When hand rubs/gels are being used in school care should be taken to ensure that pupils do not ingest them as they are flammable and toxic. Alcohol-
Young children should not have independent use of containers of alcohol gel.
Frequency of Hand Hygiene
Pupils and staff should perform hand hygiene:
On arrival at school;
Before eating or drinking;
After using the toilet;
After playing outdoors;
When their hands are physically dirty;
When they cough or sneeze.
The Department has arranged for a drawdown framework to be established to enable schools purchase hand-
5.4) Physical Distancing
Physical distancing can be usefully applied in primary and special school settings allowing for some flexibility when needed. It must be applied in a practical way to recognise that the learning environment cannot be dominated by a potentially counterproductive focus on this issue. Physical distancing will look different across the various ages and stages of learning. Care should be taken to avoid generating tension or potential conflict and some flexibility in the implementation of measures may be required at times.
It is also recognised that it is not always possible for staff to maintain physical distance from pupils and it is not appropriate that they would always be expected to do so where this could have a detrimental impact on the pupil i.e. if a child sustains an injury and requires first aid.
However, where possible staff should maintain a minimum of 1m distance and where possible 2m. They should also take measures to avoid close contact at face to face level such as remaining standing rather than sitting beside/crouching down.
Physical distancing falls into two categories:
Increasing separation
Decreasing interactionIncreasing separation
The guidance documents provided by the Department of Education on optimal school layout and referenced at Section 4.5 above should be used by schools to increase separation to the greatest degree possible
To maintain physical distancing in the classroom, primary schools and special schools should:
Reconfigure class spaces to maximise physical distancing
Utilise and reconfigure all available space in the school in order to maximise physical distancing
To support primary schools and special schools in the implementation of physical distancing in the classroom, the Department has developed a suite of illustrative classroom layouts of potential options (including arrangements for special classes) which are in accordance with the public health advice, and assumes
Room is clear of any unnecessary furniture/shelves etc. on the walls A variety of classroom sizes.
A link to the suite of illustrative primary classroom layouts is available here.
A link to illustrative special classes is available here.
Funding has been provided under the enhanced minor works grant to facilitate this classroom re-
The teacher’s desk should be at least 1m and where possible 2m away from pupil desks.
Decreasing interaction
The extent to which decreasing interaction is possible in a primary or special school will depend on the school setting and a common-
In primary and special schools a distance of 1m should be maintained between desks or between individual pupils. It is recognised that younger children are unlikely to maintain physical distancing indoors. Therefore achieving this recommendation in the first four years of primary or special schools, is not a pre-
Where possible work stations should be allocated consistently to the same staff and children rather than having spaces which are shared.
The risk of infection may be reduced by structuring pupils and their teachers into Class Bubbles (i.e. a class grouping which stays apart from other classes as much as possible) and discrete groups or “Pods” within those class bubbles, to the extent thatthis is practical.
If the class is divided into Pods, there should be at least (1m distance) between individual Pods within the Class Bubble and between individuals in the pod, whenever possible.
Generally speaking the objective is to limit contact and sharing of common facilities between people in different Class Bubbles (and Pods within those Class Bubbles) as much as possible, rather than to avoid all contact between Pods, as the latter will not always be possible.
The aim of the system within the school is that class grouping mix only with their own class from arrival at school in the morning until departure at the end of the school day. The Pods within those Class Bubbles is an additional measures, to limit the extent of close contact within the Class Bubble.
Pod sizes should be kept as small as is likely to be reasonably practical in the specific classroom context.
To the greatest extent possible, pupils and teaching staff should consistently be in the same Class Bubbles although this will not be possible at all times.
Different Class Bubbles should where possible have separate breaks and meal times or separate areas at break or meal times (or this could be different class years i.e. 2ndclass, 3rd class etc.)
Sharing educational material between Pods should be avoided/minimised where possible.
Staff members who move from class bubble to class bubble should be limited as much as possible.
Additional measures to decrease interaction include:
Limit interaction on arrival and departure and in hallways and other shared areas. Social physical contact (hand to hand greetings, hugs) should be discouraged.
Where pupils need to move about within the classroom to perform activities (access to a shared resource) it should be organized to the greatest degree possible to minimize congregation at the shared resource.
Staff and pupils should avoid sharing of personal items.
Encourage pupils to avoid behaviours that involve hand to mouth contact (putting pens/pencils in the mouth).
Where teaching and learning involves use of keyboards or tablets, the contact surface of the device should be cleaned regularly and hand hygiene encouraged.
Physical Distancing outside of the classroom and within the school
School drop off/collection
Arrangements for dropping off/collecting pupils should be arranged to encourage physical distancing of 2m where possible.
Walking/cycling to school should be encouraged as much as possible.
Arrangements should be made to maintain a distance of 2m between parents and guardians and between parents and guardians and school staff.
Aim of any arrangements is to avoid congregation of people at the school gates where physical distancing may not be respected.
Staggered drop off/pick up times should be considered where practical and feasible.
If schools have additional access points, consideration may be given to whether they can be used to reduce congestion.
Consideration may be given to where pupils congregate as they arrive at school. This could include heading straight to their small group designated learning space/classroom.
Staff
A distance of 2m is recommended for physical distancing by staff. This is particularly relevant to distancing between adults when they are not engaged in teaching such as the staff room and arriving to work.
If 2m cannot be maintained in staff groups, as much as distance as is possible and updated guidance on face covering should be observed.
Physical distancing should be observed between staff members within the staff room through the use of staggered breaks etc.
Staff meetings should be held remotely or in small groups or in large spaces to facilitate physical distancing.
Implement no hand shaking policy.
Minimise gathering of school staff at the beginning or end of the school day.
Staff can rotate between areas/classes but this should be minimized where possible.
Canteen
Ensure physical distancing is applied in canteen facilities
Stagger canteen use and extend serving times to align with class groupings.
Implement a queue management system.
Make sure pupils clean their hands before and after entering the canteen area.
Corridors and Stairwells
Briefly passing someone in a hall is very unlikely to contribute significantly to the spread of infection if people do not have physical contact and avoid informal group discussions.
Yard/Supervision
The risk of transmission from contact with outside surfaces or play areas is low.
Adjust play time/outdoor activities to minimise crowding at the entrance and exits.
It is not possible to maintain physical distancing when pupils in primary or special schools play together outdoors, but in so far as practical it is helpful to keep to consistent groups.
Stagger break times and outdoor access.
Children should be encouraged to perform hand hygiene before and after outdoor activities.
Minimise equipment sharing and clean shared equipment between uses by different people.
Ventilation
The Department has published guidance setting out the practical steps for good ventilationin accordance with public health advice ‘Practical Steps for the Deployment of GoodVentilation Practices in Schools’ The guidance sets out an overall approach for schools that windows should be open as fully as possible when classrooms are not in use (e.g. during break-
5.5) Use of PPE in Schools
The Department has published “Guidance to Primary and Special Schools on PPE consumables and equipment” on www.gov.ie/backtoschool
This provides schools with the information needed on the appropriate quantities of PPE consumables and equipment to support the full and safe reopening of schools.
The updated advice from the HPSC to the Department of Education has recommended that face coverings should be worn by staff members where it is not possible to maintain a physical distance of 2 metres from other staff, parents, essential visitors or pupils. The Department has accepted this recommendation. Accordingly, it is now a requirement for face coverings to be worn by staff members where it is not possible to maintain a physical distance of 2 metres from other staff, parents, essential visitors or pupils.
PPE will also need to be used at certain work activities or work areas. These might include roles such as:
Performing intimate care
Where a suspected case of COVID-
operation
Where staff are particularly vulnerable to infection but are not in the list of those
categorised as people in very high risk groups, or may be living with people who
are in a very high risk category
Administering first aid
Parent T eacher meetings
Where
they should apply standard precautions as per usual practice.
staff provide healthcare to children with medical needs in the school environment
Reception Areas
Consideration should be given to the use of Perspex in reception areas where it is not possible for staff to maintain a physical distance of 2 metres from other staff or pupils. Minor works funding grant can be used for this purpose.
Face Coverings/Face Visors/Masks
Cloth face coverings act as a barrier to help prevent respiratory droplets from travelling into the air and onto other people when the person wearing the face covering coughs, sneezes, talks or raises their voice. Cloth face coverings are therefore intended to prevent transmission of the virus from the wearer (who may not know that they are infected) to those with whom they come into close contact.
In childcare and educational settings, the implementation of mandatory face-
It is not recommended that children attending primary school wear face-
It is now a requirement for face coverings to be worn by staff members where it is not possible to maintain a physical distance of 2 metres from other staff, parents, essential visitors or pupils.
In certain situations the use of clear visors should be considered, for example staff interacting with pupils with hearing difficulties or learning difficulties.
Cloth face coverings should not be worn by any of the following groups:
Primary school children
Any person with difficulty breathing
Any person who is unconscious or incapacitated
Any person who is unable to remove the face-
Any person who has special needs and who may feel upset or very
uncomfortable wearing the face covering, for example persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental health conditions, sensory concerns or tactile sensitivity.
All staff wearing face coverings should be reminded to not touch the face covering and to wash or sanitise their hands (using hand sanitiser) before putting on and after taking off the face covering.
Information should be provided on the proper use, removal, and washing of cloth face coverings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6ZqdpLfSqw
Cloth face coverings should be washed after every day of use and/or before being used again, or if visibly soiled.
Face coverings should not be worn if they are wet. A wet cloth face covering may make it difficult to breathe.
Schools should consider having additional disposable face coverings available for staff in case a back-
Whilst staff may wish to utilise their own face covering on a day-
On the use of face masks by staff, schools should consider the specific circumstances where the use of medical face masks, to EU Standard EN 14683, may be more appropriate for staff (for example where staff by necessity need to be in close and continued proximity with pupils with intimate care needs such as SNAs or School Bus Escorts).
Wearing a face covering or mask does not negate the need to stay at home if symptomatic.
Gloves
The use of disposable gloves in the school by pupils or staff is not generally appropriate but may be necessary for cleaning, intimate care settings and when administering first aid. Routine use does not protect the wearer and may expose others to risk from contaminated gloves.
Routine use of disposable gloves is not a substitute for hand hygiene.
Aprons
Aprons may also be appropriate in certain circumstances including for intimate care needs or for staff assigned to cleaning an area where a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-
6) Impact of COVID-
The Department will work with stakeholders to provide more detailed advice on certain schools activities in advance of school reopening.
Choir/Music Performance
Choir practices/performances and music practices/performances involving wind instruments may pose a higher level of risk and special consideration should be given to how they are held ensuring that the room is well-
Sport Activities
Schools should refer to the HPSC guidance on Return to Sport. Link to return to sport protocols is found here.
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/07253-
Shared Equipment
Toys
All toys should be cleaned on a regular basis for example weekly. This will remove dust and dirt that can harbour germs.
Toys that are visibly dirty or contaminated with blood or bodily fluids should be taken out of use immediately for cleaning or disposal.
When purchasing toys choose ones that are easy to clean and disinfect (when necessary).
If cloth or soft toys are used they should be machine washable.
Jigsaws, puzzles and toys that young pupils to those with special educational needs may be inclined to put into their mouths should be capable of being washed and disinfected.
All play equipment should be checked for signs of damage for example breaks or cracks. If they cannot be repaired or cleaned they should be discarded.
Clean toys and equipment should be stored in a clean container or clean cupboard. Themanufacturer’s instructions should always be followed.
At this time soft modelling materials and play dough where used should be for individual use only.
Cleaning Procedure for Toys
Wash the toy in warm soapy water, using a brush to get into crevices.
Rinse the toy in clean water.
Thoroughly dry the toy.
Some hard plastic toys may be suitable for cleaning in the dishwasher.
Toys that cannot be immersed in water that is electronic or wind up should be
wiped with a damp cloth and dried.
In some situations toys/equipment may need to be disinfected following cleaning
for example: toys/equipment that pupils place in their mouths. Toys/equipment that have been soiled with blood or body fluids or toys where a case of COVID-
If disinfection is required: A chlorine releasing disinfectant should be used diluted to a concentration of 1,000ppm available chlorine. The item should be rinsed and dried thoroughly.
Art – Where possible pupils should be encouraged to have their own individual art and equipment supplies.
Electronics – Shared electronic devices such as tablets, touch screens, keyboards should be cleaned between use and consideration could be given to the use of wipeable covers for electronics to facilitate cleaning.
Musical Equipment/Instruments – To the greatest extent possible, instruments should not be shared between pupils and if sharing is required, the instruments should be cleaned between uses.
Library Policy – Where practical pupils should have their own books. Textbooks that are shared should be covered in a wipeable plastic covering that can be wiped with a suitable household cleaning agent between uses. Pupils should be encouraged to perform hand hygiene after using any shared item.
Shared Sports Equipment – Minimise equipment sharing and clean shared equipment between uses by different people.