Staff and pupils at two schools in Limavady are taking part in an NHS Covid-19 testing scheme which begins today.
St Mary’s Limavady and Limavady High School have been selected as part of a UK-wide programme which was announced in October to help identify those who have Covid-19 but are asymptomatic.
The testing is initially being offered to all staff and students in years 12, 13 and 14 in both schools.
Education Minister Peter Weir said: “I welcome this initiative where pupils and staff, without symptoms, will be tested on a voluntary basis and I want to thank both schools for taking part.
“Along with the other measures schools and colleges are taking, it is hoped that these tests will help reduce the risk of people without symptoms transmitting the virus. Positive cases of the virus could be identified which may otherwise have been missed.
“The test will be supervised by trained staff and I expect there to be minimal disruption to lessons. Keeping our schools safe during the pandemic remains my top priority and I will continue to support schools in the months ahead.”
Health Minister Robin Swann said: “Work is progressing with a variety of local partners and experts on New Testing Interventions (NTIs) for a range of settings including this schools’ initiative.
“The learning arising from the NTIs will help us to better understand how new technologies can be implemented and extended more widely across settings. It is important to be aware that these NTIs are still at an early stage of development, and consequently these new tests must be rolled out with careful planning and evaluation.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Limavady High School and St Mary’s for their participation, and I would particularly like to thank the team in the Public Health Agency who have developed and are leading this NTI and colleagues in the Education Authority who continue to be instrumental in driving this important work forward.”
Meanwhile, two schools in Derry have said pupils will not be marked absent if they do schoolwork from home during the final week of term.
Principals at Ebrington and Lisnagelvin primaries said they would prepare work for children to do at home if their parents wanted to keep them off after Friday.
Most schools end term on Friday, 18 December, and some continue until early the following week.
Education Minister Peter Weir has repeatedly dismissed speculation that schools will wrap up early on December 11.
In a letter to the parents of more than 400 pupils and seen by the BBC, Ebrington Primary School principal, Brian Guthrie, said that he was "not in a position to close the school early, but are still concerned for our families".
"During the last week of term, the children usually take part in some fun activities which still promote their learning, but in a fun way through the use of Christmas worksheets and practical activities," he wrote.
"Whilst we cannot condone absences from school, we are also mindful of the mental health and well-being of all our families and, as such, would be annoyed if families could not enjoy the Christmas period like they had hoped.
"Therefore we are willing to prepare some school work alongside Christmas activities, in advance, and send them home on Friday, 11 December."
Mr Guthrie said this would help "those who are in a position to do so and who wish to protect their family Christmas time, by keeping their children off school during the last week".
"Providing the children are engaging in the set work, as per the school's blended/remote learning policy, your child's attendance will not be affected," he added.
