The Emergency Management Council has resolved to take immediate action to further reduce the risk of transmission of COVID in our schools during Term 2 and minimise disruption to face-to-face learning for students and the impact on parents and workplaces.
The former government did not adequately prepare our schools for COVID, so the new government is:
- Fast-tracking the completion of long-delayed ventilation works in classrooms
- Purchasing an additional 1,000 air purifiers for classrooms
- Establishing vaccination hubs across at least 40 schools targeting those aged 5-11 years old
- Creating a system of online consent for parents regarding their child’s vaccination.
The Emergency Management Council has also resolved to retain current mask settings in schools for at least the first four weeks of Term 2, to be reviewed closer to the end of Week 4.
The Emergency Management Council was this morning told South Australian schools faced greater disruption due to COVID-19 in Term 1 than other states.
The former Marshall Liberal Government was too slow to act when it came to preparing our schools for COVID-19. Remarkably, a survey of classroom windows wasn’t finished until after Term 1 started.
Only 200 of 652 schools have had necessary ventilation works completed. This primarily relates to works on windows in classrooms which cannot be opened. The new government has directed the final 452 schools have works completed within the next four weeks, which the department has advised is achievable.
The former government was also too slow to purchase air purifiers for classrooms, so the new government is purchasing an additional 1,000 air purifiers for classrooms.
Currently, 58 per cent of children aged 5-11 years old have had their first dose, while 38 per cent have had their second dose. In a bid to increase vaccination rates, the government will establish vaccination hubs in 40 schools across the state. This program will commence in Week 4 of Term 2 and last for four weeks. A second round will occur in Term 3.
The Emergency Management Council will review mask mandates towards the end of Week 4 of the school term, taking into account updated data on the level of transmission in schools, the status of COVID-19 in the community generally and the rollout of the government’s actions to make our schools safer.
Current mask settings which will continue for at least the first four weeks are as follows:
- Required for all adults (including visitors), except when it impacts the ability to teach or interact with children
- Required for students in years 7 to 12
- Strongly recommended for students in years 3 to 6
The Emergency Management Council also discussed last week’s changes to close contact rules. The Council is keen to reinforce the strong recommendation that close contacts avoid non-essential gatherings during the 7-day period. This includes:
- Weddings and other large family gatherings/events
- Concerts, music festivals and other indoor entertainment
- Restaurants, hotels, pubs and nightclubs
- Attending the gym and indoor sport
- Conferences and professional development not essential for work
The council is also reinforcing the importance of close contacts undertaking 5 rapid antigen tests across the 7-day period and ensuring the tests are spaced at least 24 hours apart.
Quotes
Attributable to Premier Peter Malinauskas
We all want to ensure we are doing everything we can to ensure we have a COVID-safe return to school next week.
Unfortunately, South Australian schools faced greater disruption than other states during Term 1. We want to reduce this risk in Term 2, ensuring more students can go to school and more parents can stay at work.
There is no doubt this disruption was in part due to the lack of preparation by the former Marshall Liberal Government, which has been well documented. The surveys were too slow, the former government didn’t buy enough air purifiers and ventilation works still haven’t been completed.
Our top priority is ensuring face-to-face learning can continue, so we can minimise disruption for students, parents and workplaces. Therefore, we are taking the prudent step of retaining current mask settings for the first four weeks, while we rollout other actions to help make our schools safer.
