Ireland Mulls Longer School Break Amid Europe’s Worst Covid Outbreak

(Bloomberg) -- Ireland's government is under pressure to delay re-opening schools following the Christmas break in an effort to contain one of the world's worst outbreaks of Covid-19.

The country's contagion rate rose to nearly 2,500 cases per 100,000 people over the past seven days -- the highest in Europe as of Monday. The continent has again become the epicenter of the pandemic, currently accounting for 10 of the world's worst outbreaks, according to Oscovida data.

Europe has been hit hard by the highly transmissible omicron variant, putting pressure on authorities to respond. Governments across the region have gradually tightened curbs, especially on unvaccinated people.

Ireland, which reported a record 23,281 infections on New Year's Day, could be enduring an even worse spike because of a limited availability of PCR tests.

Irish children are scheduled to return to school on Thursday, risking more contact that could further spread the disease. Unions are meeting with officials on Tuesday and are proposing a staggered re-opening.

Government leaders will also discuss shortening the self-isolation period from 10 to five days for some people who test positive, according to national broadcaster RTE.

Other countries in Europe are also streamlining quarantine rules to mitigate the risk of staff shortages in hospitals, care centers and other critical services. France on Monday shortened isolation times following a similar step in the U.K. Germany will discuss such a step on Friday.

Despite the surge in cases, there's evidence that vaccines are helping to lower the severity of the outbreak. The number of people in Irish hospitals and intensive care units remain well below their peaks a year ago, when there were fewer than half as many cases.

In Ireland, 91% of people over 12 years old were fully vaccinated as of Sunday, and 52% had received a booster shot. The figures are among the highest in Europe.