Update on HPSC Health Advice on Symptoms of Covid-19 for Early Learning and Care and SAC Settings

The HPSC have published a new Decision Pathways document that provides some new information on when children from 3 months to 13 years can attend their school and ELC/SAC setting.

The document includes the following change to previous advice:

• A child with nasal cold symptoms (runny nose or sneezing) can continue to attend their ELC/SAC setting, provided:
  • The child is otherwise well and active,
  • The child has no new cough or temperature, and
  • There is no other person in the child’s household with a suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19.

Please see scenario E in the HPSCs Decision Pathways document for further information.

Other advice remains unchanged.

More detail is available in the Decision Pathways document here:

https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/guidance/educationguidance/COVID-19%20Assessment%20and%20decision%20making%20pathway%20for%20all%20children.pdf

The Department is currently developing a Tip Sheet based on the HPSC advice which will be available soon.