IPPN

Published: 20 May 2021

MESSAGE FROM DE TO ALL PRINCIPALS RE HSE CYBER ATTACK

To All Principals

As I am sure you are aware, the HSE ICT systems have been disabled as a precaution in response to the cyberattack on Friday. This has had significant consequences for the HSE, including for Departments of Public Health. Whilst alternative solutions are being put in place, we ask for your patience and consideration when contacting the HSE Departments of Public Health and Schools teams.

There was a short delay in results being received by Public Health on Friday and part of Saturday. However, we have since worked urgently to ensure these cases and all the new referrals are dealt with quickly. We are also experiencing some difficulties in being able to refer close contacts identified in the usual way for testing. Therefore, close contacts identified by contact tracing are asked to attend walk in centres for testing and not await appointments.

Given that Departments of Public Health are currently working very hard under difficult circumstances, we ask for your consideration when contacting us. Please do contact the HSE Principals line on (01) 2408785 if you are aware of a case of Covid-19 within your facility, but have not yet heard from us. In the short term, they will provide you with the appropriate number to ring the local Departments of Public Health. The numbers for Departments of Public Health are subject to change during this period. Therefore to ensure you are being directed to a correct line, please ring the HSE Principals line first. When you speak to Departments of Public Health,please ensure you state what type of school yours is e.g. primary, special educational needs school or post-primary and also what year group the case you are concerned about refers to.

For staff or students who are due testing, but have not received an appointment, they should attend the walk-in centres directly. Anyone who is awaiting a result of the Day 10 test, should continue to restrict their movements until they receive this result, or they have restricted their movements for 14 days, whichever is the soonest.

If someone is symptomatic but has not yet got a test result, they should continue to self-isolate as per guidelines. No-one with symptoms consistent with Covid-19 should be in the school. No close contact exclusions need to be made until a confirmed result is received. Whilst there is a slight delay compared to normal processes, positive results are being rapidly provided to patients.

General Covid-19 queries should be answered through the usual processes. Calls to the HSE Principals line or Departments of Public Health directly are for confirmed cases only please. The FAQs for Principals (link here) should be able to answer most other Covid-19 queries. The Department of Education is also available to assist with many queries and can be contacted by email covid19_alert@education.gov.ie or phone (057) 9324461 and we keep close contact with them.

We will keep you updated as things unfold, but be assured all departments are responding to schools to provide clinical support in a very timely manner.

Best wishes,

Dr Abigail Collins, Consultant in Public Health Medicine

Dr Kevin Kelleher, Assistant National Director for Public Health and Child Health