The Victorian government has announced changes to how students will return to classrooms at the start of the 2022 year to contain the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. The measures will be in effect from the start of term 1, with most students returning to school on Monday, January 31.
Rapid antigen testing will be in place for at least the first four weeks of term one.
The Victorian Government will deliver more than 14 million RATs to schools and early childhood education and care services, including 6.6 million tests in the first week of term.
Twice weekly surveillance testing will be strongly recommended for all primary and secondary school students and staff, early childhood education and care staff. Students and staff at specialist schools will be recommended to test five days a week due to the higher risk of severe illness for medically vulnerable children.
Schools are likely to receive the first delivery of rapid antigen tests next week, with parents and carers likely to be asked to pick them up directly from the campuses.
Education Minister James Merlino said he believed the government had enough rapid antigen tests to cover the surveillance testing of students and staff for the first four weeks. The testing program will be reviewed at the end of that period.
School and early childhood staff will be added to the list of workers who must receive a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by February 25, or within three months and two weeks of receiving a second dose to continue working in education settings.
Improved ventilation will be a key measure to slow the spread of COVID-19, particularly in high-risk areas like staff rooms, music rooms, indoor canteens and other high-traffic areas.
All 51,000 air-purification devices that were ordered will be delivered to government and low-fee non-government schools for the first day of term 1.
More than 1800 schools have applied for a shade sail grant. Construction is already underway at more than 300 of these schools to allow more classes to be conducted outside.
The government has also invested $7.5 million in early childhood services to improve ventilation, and a further $7.4 million to support kindergarten services to implement COVID Safe measures.
