A leading professor said Ireland may need to consider mask wearing among primary school children.
Professor Mary Horgan is member of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet).
She said the increase in infections among primary school children is higher than the rest of the population.
The issue is expected to be discussed by Nphet when it meets today, though the Government does not intend to introduce any new restrictions this week, according to The Irish Times.
If a recommendation is made by Nphet, it is likely to be considered by Government next week.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Prof Horgan said there were several reasons for the case rise in school children. “Firstly they are a group that haven’t been vaccinated. We know how effective vaccines are,” she said.
“Secondly they don’t still use masks. The rest of the population do. So it may be a time to consider that. Because we do want to reduce the infection as much as we possibly can.”
The latest figures show that primary school-aged children now have the highest Covid incidence of any age group, with some 10,000 positive cases in the past fortnight.
