The following message is doing the rounds so in case you haven't seen it, I'm pasting it here. I'll add my own thoughts to the comments:

My experience of having our first positive Covid case

Dear Colleagues,

I have decided to write this message to you, although the sun is shining and perhaps wiser for me personally to take a walk instead. However, I thought it essential that I share my experience this week….

On Tuesday, a parent contacted the office to inform us that their child had a positive Covid test. One of our secretaries thanked her for informing us, but assured the parent it would in fact be the HSE that would be in touch with them and indeed any close contacts, etc. etc.

I decided to call the IPPN office and was advised to contact the regional HSE helpline so as to alert them to the case and hopefully ‘it would get moved along quicker’. I also asked if IPPN had received feedback from other schools and was reassured by the person’s positive response to my question, despite the contrary views expressed on this network by some principals. So I started the process with hope and relative calmness…

I rang the HSE helpdesk and was told that someone would ring me back. Later, at home, I got a call from a doctor from the helpline who quickly deemed that only the POD should be sent home and that the other PODS and class teacher were ‘casual’ rather the ‘close’ contacts. No questions were asked about the size of the classroom, the closeness of the pods from one another. It was just confirm that there was a bubble and pod system in place. I have since this evening received an apology from the HSE Regional Centre stating that today their team has now created questions to ask principals in order to further contextualise each case presenting.

I was asked to send in the names of the close contacts (other pod members) on an incredibly cumbersome excel spreadsheet they sent me. I asked when would these parents be contacted and could they guarantee that they would be before the next school day. They informed me by phone and later by email that it could take up to 24 hours to make initial contact.

After further contact, where they said it may well be 48 hours, I was left with no option but to call the parents affected myself or otherwise they would return to school the next day. In fact, it took over 48 hours for the HSE to make initial contact, after a further three phone calls from me, asking why it was taking so long. Each time, a nice person on the end of the line, with an apology and saying they needed more resources….

I would like to thank Pairic from IPPN and John Boyle from INTO for both returning my call most promptly and listening to my story.

However, I have so many concerns and questions that remain unanswered, the following being the most important?
- Where is the fast track testing service for staff and children we were promised before we returned to school?
- Why does the HSA return to work form specify clearly what a close contact is (i.e. within 2 metres, for more than 15 mins, on one given day) but DES Return to work form leaves this out?
- How, on the one hand, are we told by the HSE to not get involved with contacting close contacts and by another arm of the HSE specifically asking us to do so?
- How can a class teacher be deemed a casual contact and indeed the other PODS in the room without a thorough and comprehensive risk assessment by a health expert?
- When will the IPPN and the INTO say publicly ‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’ and prioritise our safety? If the HSE can’t keep us safe, why are we open? It seems that it is much easier to be deemed a close contact outside of a school context than within….the HSE website proves this point perfectly in their section on contacts. How can the bodies we pay to represent us allow this to continue?
- Do we have to wait for a pupil or staff member or a close relative to die before those in power admit that schools are indeed being treated entirely different from other sectors?

This is my first ever email of this type….just not me normally. I also contacted TDs for the first time in my life too to express my complete disbelief in this week’s events.

I am asking you, to not do what I have done so often on this network to read and move on to the next ‘fire to be put out’ – IF YOU AGREE WITH THIS EMAIL, PLEASE PRESS REPLY AND INSERT A WORD OR TWO, SO OTHER PRINCIPALS AND SCHOOL COMMUNITIES WON’T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS AND IPPN HEAD OFFICE WILL CLEARLY HEAR THIS IS THE MOST SERIOUS OF ISSUES….

I implore IPPN to not get side tracked by visiting inspectors dressed up as HSA inspectors and speak out and ACT about this matter….without a comprehensive test and tracing system , we are in serious trouble.

I fully understand the HSE and DES have created many of these issues but the bodies that represent us have allowed it unfold as it is the IPPN and INTO that sit at the table with the DES and HSE and not the individual principal, teacher, SNA, secretary or pupil.

Our politicians and others want schools back at all costs…..my worry, after these few days, is at what cost?

Finally, one positive from the week, the parents I dealt with and my school colleagues were all exceptional in their understanding and support. ... See MoreSee Less

4 hours ago