Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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430. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools in the country currently experiencing outbreaks of Covid-19. [44760/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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School communities have worked incredibly hard to operate safely under Covid-19. The Government has always been guided by public health advice in relation to what is safe in schools. NPHET remain of the view that schools are low risk environments but recognise there is a need to reduce activity and movement to curb the spread of the virus. Regrettably all schools will remain closed to students from Monday 11 January.

As of 2^ndJanuary a total of 1137 education facilities (primary, post primary and special education facilities) have undergone mass testing following Public Health Risk Assessment.

The positivity rate of close contacts testing in educational facilities including primary, post-primary and special educational needs facilities as of this date is 2.7 % with 330,643 close contacts tested. This low positivity rate has led in the main to a group of students or a class having to restrict their movements in line with public health advice rather than school closures.