Schools 'Stay Shut'

  Expert warns restrictions may have to remain.  Harris pledges €72m for private nursing homes. ‘Nobody will be left behind’, vows minister

- Sylvia Pownall

Schools and colleges could remain closed after the summer break, a coronavirus expert warned last night.

Asked if an autumn reopening was on the cards Dr Cillian De Gascun said it could not be guaranteed.

The chair of the HSE’s coronavirus expert advisory group said it was “certainly possible” they’d stay closed, adding: “We’ll have a better picture over the summer. Restrictions will stay in place until we can see we are controlling it.”

It comes as a further 17 Covid-19 deaths were confirmed in Ireland last night bringing the death toll to 137. The number of cases now stands at 4,604 after 331 new diagnoses were confirmed by the HSE.

Health bosses revealed the latest figures as Health Minister Simon Harris pledged millions to bail out nursing homes. Minister Harris revealed that the rate of infection here is falling with its reproductive rate down from 4.3 people per person on March 16 to 2.5 by the month’s end.

He said this was “real progress” – but the major challenge is to get the number below one which would mean the virus “doesn’t sustain itself in the community”.

Speaking at a news conference Mr Harris added that the next seven days will be “absolutely critical”.

However, Dr de Gascun warned we should be prepared for a longer lockdown than first thought.