Relief and nerves as pupils return to school

Another 10 people have tested positive with COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the Department of Health dashboard has revealed.

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News   What's On   Lifestyle              Aug 24, 2020           Dear reader,   Monday was an enormously significant day for Northern Ireland, with many school children returning to the classroom for the first time in five months.   Primary seven pupils, and sixth formers, were among those returning to school with the last school year curtailed for most at the end of March by the coronavirus lockdown. Many more pupils will return over the course of this week and into next week.    Parents and teachers reported a mixture of relief and nervousness as classes resumed, although there was criticism from the Ulster Teacher Union that the return had come too soon. Its general secretary Jacquie White claimed that protocols for Covid-19 in schools here were still not clear.    In addition, Justin McCamphill, NASUWT national official in Northern Ireland, claimed that 77 per cent of teachers here don't feel their school is safe for pupils to return to.    After the Department of Health reported one of the highest ever number of new cases in a 24-hour period on Sunday, 119, the number of new cases confirmed on Monday was much lower at 10. However, a total of 359 people have tested positive over the last week.   No new deaths were reported while one person with Covid-19 is currently in ICU in Northern Ireland.    Alistair Bushe, Editor   Want total access to all of our online content? You can subscribe to our website, newsletter.co.uk for just £1 a month for 3 months - and it couldn't be easier. Signing up will get you faster-loading articles, fewer adverts and access to exclusive content and events when we run them. To learn more, visit our Subscriptions page here.             LIVE UPDATES: Ten people test positive in last 24 hours | 359 test positive in last 7 days           Another 10 people have tested positive with COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the Department of Health dashboard has revealed.                 Staff at NI hospital Emergency Department self isolating after rise in COVID-19   Emergency Department waiting times at an NI hospital are expected to increase as a number of staff are in self-isolation due to COVID-19.           Millions in extra cash to help NI schools reopen   Millions in extra funding to help Northern Ireland schools pay for the extra costs of reopening in a pandemic has been announced.           Council is offering 'Here to Help' campaign to our food businesses   Derry City and Strabane District Council's Environmental Health Food team has been busy reaching out to food businesses and offering support and assistance during Covid-19.           Ben Lowry: A return to general lockdown is not even remotely feasible   The prospect of a return to full lockdown has been floated.                 View more on Coronavirus

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