605 school staff reported contracting Covid-19 in the first two weeks of November.
That's according to a survey by the Irish National Teachers Organisation, which is warning the primary school system is 'creaking at the seams'.
It's calling for an immediate review of public health supports in schools.
Of the 877 schools who responded, a wide-ranging positivity rate from 0.1% (73 pupils) in Kerry to 4.1% in Waterford (175 pupils) was reported. In Dublin the rate was 2.1%.
INTO General Secretary John Boyle says school communities feel abandoned;
"So we need the contact tracing, the public health risk assessments, the mass testing for primary school children to be reinstated immediately."
He says antigen tests will be rolled out but a proper approach to air filtration is needed. John Boyle says a lot of classrooms don't have co2 monitors.
The survey results can be found here.
