Covid: Updated advice issued for schoolchildren on sleepovers

The latest Covid measures for children under 12.

New advice has been issued for schoolchildren who have been on sleepovers. According to The Irish Times, children must isolate if they have had a sleepover with a positive Covid case. If a member of the household they were staying in tests positive then they must stay out of school. The HSE stressed that transmission risk is much higher in homes.

“This may be in their own home or someone else’s home, for example, children who may have been on sleepovers with family or friend,” it stated.

A child is considered a close contact if they stayed overnight in the home of a positive case. This means parents need to practice extreme caution if their children are having sleepovers with friends or family members. The news comes after restrictions were eased for primary school children in Ireland. Asymptomatic primary school kids who are close contacts of a positive case no longer need to isolate from school. They also don't need to be tested. However, if they live in the same household or display symptoms then they must isolate immediately. It is believed over 10,000 primary school children are currently isolating from school after being deemed close contacts. However, once the new measures come into effect on Monday, September 27th, they can return to their classrooms. Read the updated measures for children under 12 below:

• Children (under 12) who are close contacts of a Covid case won't have to isolate if they're asymptomatic.
• They also won't need to be tested.
• They will need to isolate and get tested if they're contacted by their local public health team.
• Children under 12 will need to restrict movements and get tested if they're living in the same household as a positive Covid case.
• The HSE has stressed that children with Covid symptoms should still isolate and stay out of schools until their symptoms are clear for 48 hours.

More information is available here.