SCHOOLS are a low risk setting for the transmission of Covid-19, a study has found.
A report by experts from the Health Service Executive in the Republic looked at all known cases of the disease where those involved had been in a school setting.
There were six cases in total - three children and three adults, including one teacher.
Five had symptoms of either a cough or fever. One child was asymptomatic and had been tested as part of a household cluster.
An examination of more than 1,000 contacts of these six showed there were no further confirmed cases in the following 14 days.
The contacts had been exposed in the classroom, during sports and music lessons and choir practice which involved several schools mixing.
The authors said their results echoed the experience of other countries.
They suggested that schools were not a high risk setting for transmission of Covid-19 between children or between staff and pupils.
"Given the burden of closure, reopening of schools should be considered as an early rather than a late measure in the lifting of restriction," the authors concluded.
"Our report includes both the primary and secondary school setting, with no transmission in either setting. The limited evidence of transmission in school settings supports the reopening of schools as part of the easing of current restrictions.
"There are no zero risk approaches, but the school environment appears to be low risk."
Minister for Education Joe McHugh has said he would not accept a "half return" to school if the current two-metre social distancing guidelines remain in place in September.
