All pupils and staff at a Co Kerry school are to be tested for Covid-19, with all children asked to restrict their movements until 30 December, according to a letter sent to parents by the Health Service Executive.
Seventeen cases at Scoil Mhuire in Killorglin, a mixed primary school with 386 pupils, have been recorded "and contact tracing is ongoing," the letter from HSE South's Department of Public Health states.
It is one of the largest outbreaks in a school to date. "In the Irish experience with Covid-19 thus far, it has been uncommon to see an outbreak of this scale among a school population," the letter says.