The decision to reopen schools in Ireland "has not been taken lightly" and the importance of reopening for the overall health and wellbeing of children "cannot be overstated", the acting chief medical officer, Dr Ronan Glynn, has said.

Schools closed their doors on March 12 and only began reopening in recent days. In an open letter to parents and school staff, Dr Glynn said that he is very aware that many people are worried about the reopening of schools in the context of COVID-19.

However, he pointed out that the decision to reopen has been based on guidance produced by international bodies, such as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization.

Other evidence has also been used, including the experience of other countries who have reopened their schools already and Ireland's own experience having reopened childcare settings and summer camps over the summer months.

"International evidence shows us that child-to-child and child-to-adult transmission of COVID-19 in schools is uncommon. In addition, our own experience to date in Ireland, and indeed that reported internationally, demonstrates that for the overwhelming majority of children who are diagnosed with COVID-19, their symptoms will be mild.

"The importance of schools for the overall health and wellbeing of children cannot be overstated, and the risk of COVID-19 has been carefully weighed against the very real harm that can be caused by sustained school closures," Dr Glynn said.

He insisted that schools play "a fundamental role in the social life of children".

"They are where children are educated, make friends, share interests, learn social skills like self-confidence and empathy, and participate in sport and cultural activities," he noted.

Dr Glynn emphasised that there are no zero risk options when it comes to reopening anything, including schools. The aim is to therefore reopen in as safe a way as possible by ensuring public health measures, such as physical distancing and hand washing, are implemented properly.

He said that the best way to protect schools is to keep the level of COVID-19 in the community low.

"As parents and guardians, you can play a key role in this, both through your own actions and through the influence that you have on your family and friends. If all of us continue to make small changes to the way we live, we can together starve this virus of opportunities to transmit," he pointed out.

Dr Glynn explained that while it is okay to send your child to school or childcare if they only have a runny nose or a sneeze, if you have any concerns that your child has symptoms of COVID-19 - fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell - then they should be kept at home until you have spoken with your GP by phone.

"There will be cases of COVID-19 among children over the coming days and weeks, as there have been throughout this pandemic to date. But when this happens our public health teams in the HSE will respond and liaise closely with the school involved and ensure that all necessary measures are taken to protect other students and school staff," Dr Glynn insisted.

He thanked families for all that they have done to keep their communities safe over the last six months and he also thanked principals, teachers and other school staff who have worked tirelessly to ensure schools are ready to reopen.

For more information on returning to school, click on gov.ie/backtoschool.