Covid-19: Colleges lay groundwork for safe return of students to campus life

Ireland’s approach to reopening third-level education on campus is reportedly in step with most other countries, and our high rate of vaccination is a reason for confidence

Even at the worst of the uncertainty of the pandemic, the government has been working to make sure education was given special status in reopening. Picture: Getty

When Ireland’s 200,000-plus third-level students return to campuses this week, it won’t be the usual freshers’ week of reps handing out drink tokens and tents staffed with people looking for sign-ups to societies.

Instead, students will encounter a Covid-19-compliant campuses with free facemasks, social areas cleared away to make space for social distancing, and in some cases rapid antigen testing programmes and pop-up vaccination centres.

Even at the worst of the uncertainty of the pandemic, ...