The level of positive Covid-19 cases from mass testing in childcare facilities currently stands at 10 per cent, according to latest Health Service Executive (HSE) figures.
There were 69 Covid-19 cases detected in childcare facilities in the week up to January 23rd. In total, 646 tests were carried out across 70 childcare facilities, with a positivity rate of 10.6 per cent.
On average the positivity rate has been five per cent, with 548 confirmed cases out of 10,139 tests in 477 childcare facilities since last August.
At present childcare facilities remain open for the children of essential workers and vulnerable children.
The Government closed primary and secondary schools in early January due to surging numbers of Covid-19 cases, and growing safety concerns from teaching and staff unions. The pre-school (ECCE) programme has also been suspended during the Level 5 lockdown.
The positivity rate for Covid-19 from mass testing has generally been higher in childcare facilities than in schools, in part due to difficulties with younger children adhering to social distancing and other measures.
The rate of positive Covid-19 cases in childcare facilities in the third week of January remained the same as the previous week.
There were 69 cases detected from 632 tests across 59 childcare facilities, with a positivity rate of 10.9 per cent in the week up to January 16th.
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has reiterated that reopening primary schools on a phased basis remained a priority, if virus cases get down below 1,000 daily.
Prof Philip Nolan of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) said the State was progressing towards a place where the phased reopening of education could be considered.
Prof Nolan said he hopes that by March 5th, the end date for the current phase of restrictions, that the nation would be in “a much better place”.
The head of Nphet's epidemiological modelling advisory group said Ireland could see a drop to 200-400 new cases of Covid-19 a day by the end of February.
"If we are cautious I think there are certain high priority, lower risk things that we can do in March, April, May that will allow some opening up without a significant increase in the transmission of the virus," he told RTÉ radio's The Week programme.
“I think we can say given the huge progress that we have made as a community in suppressing the virus, we’re now approaching a level of disease in the community where it would be safe to think about an appropriately phased, cautious reopening of education.” – Additional reporting: PA
