The majority of pupils at a Claremorris primary school have been kept at home as the controversy over the response to an outbreak of Covid-19 at the school continues.
Only seven pupils turned up at Claremorris Boys National School this morning, according to principal Mark Loftus. The school told parents last week that it had decided to close for the Christmas break on Friday, because of the high number of children who had tested positive.
However later that day the Department of Education directed the school to remain open. It reiterated that schools were obliged to remain open until Tuesday 22 December and on Friday evening the school agreed to do so.