Covid-19: PHA to take over contact tracing in schools from Friday

The PHA is expected to reduce the number of pupils who have to self-isolate

The Public Health Agency will begin contact tracing the close contacts of Covid-19 cases in schools on Friday.

Education Minister Michelle McIlveen confirmed the plan during a recall of the Stormont assembly on Thursday.

Sinn Féin had proposed the debate after the minister was criticised over rising absences of pupils due to Covid-19.

The agency stepping in is expected to reduce the number of pupils who have to self-isolate and miss time in school.

Until now, it has been up to school staff to trace close contacts, which some principals saying it had become a logistical burden.

On Thursday Ms McIlveen said school leaders would now only be contacted for assistance in "limited circumstances".

Education Minister Michelle McIlveen has been criticised for a lack of planning over Covid cases in schools

"Parents will be asked to inform the school if their child tests positive which could be part of school absence reporting," said the minister.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is expected to issue new guidance for schools to support the revised approach.

Ms McIlveen said a "warn and inform" letter would also be made available which schools may wish to use to inform parents of cases in the school.

• Schools overwhelmed by 'tsunami' of Covid absences

• What are Northern Ireland's Covid-19 rules now?

The move for the PHA to largely take over contact tracing will bring Northern Ireland in line with the position being taken in Great Britain.

The minister said the decision to change rules on self-isolation had been backed by health officials.

It changed previous guidance for close contacts to isolate for 10 days and aimed to reduce the time children spent out of school.

But some schools had said they wanted to retain that advice.

The executive had agreed to proposals from the health minister, which meant pupils identified as close contacts would only have to self-isolate until a negative PCR test was received, Ms McIlveen said.

She said schools should also continue to focus on other mitigations in place to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission such as ventilation and face coverings, as well as "regular asymptomatic testing using lateral flow devices".

Other parties were critical of the minister during the recall debate.

Sinn Féin's Colm Gildernew said while he welcomed the move for the PHA to take over, he did not believe it would resolve problems entirely.

Chris Lyttle, Alliance assembly member and chair of the education committee at Stormont, rejected claims that other parties had "targeted" the education minister and criticised the lack of communication from her department.