Email to NI schools about home testing kits from government department ‘regrettable’ - schools referred to as ‘care homes’

According to the BBC schools across Northern Ireland received an email from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on Saturday.

It said they would receive 10 home testing kits for Covid-19 by 20:00 BST on Monday.

It referred to schools as “care homes” and said someone had to be available to accept delivery of the kits.

But now the Department of Education has admitted that the email was caused by an “automation error”.

Schools in Northern Ireland are to be provided with home testing kits for parents of pupils with symptoms of Covid-19.

The kits are intended to allow families who cannot travel to a testing centre to carry out a test for coronavirus.

Education Minister Peter Weir had accepted an invitation from DHSC to be part of the scheme, which is also being rolled out in England.

But DE had told school principals that it would provide Northern Ireland specific guidance on the delivery of the kits.

Instead, schools received an email from the DHSC in the UK at 14:00 BST on Saturday in which they were described as “care homes”.

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