A new system of antigen testing is rolling out in primary schools across Ireland today.
The tests will be available to children who are asymptomatic close contacts.
They will be offered to a child who is in a pod where another child has tested positive for Covid-19 via a PCR test.
Where two or more confirmed cases of COVID-19 occur in a class, within a seven-day period, outside of a single pod, antigen testing will be offered to the full class.
The tests will be sent to the children’s parents by the HSE.
The new measures ask parents/guardians of a primary school child, who has been confirmed as having COVID-19 following a PCR test, to inform their school’s principal. The school principal will then inform the parents of other children in the pod of a confirmed case.
No personal details of the child will be shared. These parents will be provided with the option to receive free antigen tests for their child, which they will be able to order for delivery to their home.
The government has stated that it is “not mandatory” for children to participate in antigen testing.
Children who are in a pod where a child has tested positive for COVID-19 can continue to attend school, whether they participate in antigen testing or not, provided that they are not experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
