15th September 2020

Re: Confirmed case of COVID-19 at your child’s school.

A confirmed case of COVID-19 in your child’s school, has been notified to the Department of Public Health HSE South East.

A public health risk assessment has been undertaken and the parents of any children deemed to be close contacts of the confirmed case have been contacted and advised accordingly. Household contacts, such as parents and siblings, of close contacts who have no relevant symptoms are not usually asked to restrict their movements.
Your child has not been identified as a close contact at this time, your child does not need a test for Covid-19, they can continue to attend school, and no further actions are required at this time.

If, at any time, your child develops any symptoms suggestive of Covid-19 infection (such as a cough, a fever, loss or change in sense of taste or smell), please do not send your child to school, contact your GP and begin restricting your child’s movements, as per public health advice. If your child is being sent for a Covid test by their GP, you should try to isolate your child from other members of the household and all other members of the household need to restrict their movements while awaiting the results of this test.

Restricted movement means avoiding contact with other people and social situations as much as possible. It is also sometimes called ‘self-quarantine’.

Restricted movement means that you/your child stays home and:
• Does not go to school/work.
• Does not use public transport.
• Does not have visitors in your home.
• Does not attend extra-curricular activities
• Does not go to the shops or pharmacy, unless absolutely necessary.
• Keeps away from older people, anyone with an underlying medical condition

Further information on COVID-19 is available at: www.hse.ie and www.hpsc.ie or you can phone HSELive at 1850 24 1850.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Catherine Lynch
Department of Public Health