Nine NI schools closed due to high levels of sickness among pupils
Norovirus bug to blame for hundreds being off ill
A winter vomiting bug has shut down NINE schools in Northern Ireland as hundreds of pupils prepare to sit a vital entrance exam.
Two Co Down schools, St Columbanus' College and Bangor Academy, are the latest to announce temporary closure.
They are closed today (Friday) for a deep clean in a bid to tackle Norovirus.
This is a stomach bug that causes vomiting and diarrhoea.
Other schools have already decided to close in Tyrone, Londonderry and Armagh.
Among those affected are primary schools whose pupils were due to set a final AQE entrance exam tomorrow (Saturday).
Joint head of the body Dr Darrin Barr - says no extra exams will be put in place for those who miss it.
And he advised parents: "If you have missed one of the tests or if you are too sick to attend the third test on Saturday, the AQE model of three assessments being available and the best two marks used to provide a final score allows children to achieve a standardised score for application to grammar schools on the basiss of sitting two tests only.