Students will no longer have to wear masks at school under new COVID-19 guidelines due to start on Thursday.
Other changes that will come into effect at government schools when the pandemic declaration ends at midnight on Wednesday include vaccinations no longer being mandatory for staff or visitors, an end to physical distancing and the scrapping of alerts for parents over infections.
The Victorian government recommendations on mask-wearing in schools will change this week when the pandemic declaration ends.Credit:Penny Stephens
“Schools must continue to take the important steps of ensuring air purifiers are in use, external ventilation is maximised, good personal hygiene is encouraged, and face masks continue to be made available for staff, students and visitors who wish to wear them,” a Department of Education guide detailing the changes reads.
Students and staff who want to wear face masks should be supported and schools should continue to make them available for those on the grounds, it reads.
The state’s health department recommends close contacts of someone who tested positive to COVID-19 should still wear a mask when leaving home, according to the guide.
The previous recommendation was for masks to be worn indoors or outside where social distancing was not possible at schools.
In July, students aged eight and over were “expected” to wear masks indoors as part of Department of Education guidelines.
The previous guide said schools were not “required or expected to sanction students or staff” who failed to meet the expectation around masks.
While vaccination is no longer mandatory for staff or visitors at any Victorian school, including specialist schools, it is “strongly recommended” that staff and students keep up to date with COVID-19 jabs.
Principals will also no longer be required to inform the school community if a positive case is associated with the school.
However, students and staff who report a positive test are recommended to isolate for five days and not attend school.
It comes after Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Friday that the state’s pandemic declaration would end this Thursday, a day earlier than isolation rules are to be lifted around the country.
From Thursday, people will no longer have to isolate if they test positive to COVID-19.
“To continue mandatory isolation until [Friday], Victoria’s pandemic framework would have required an extension of the pandemic declaration for 24 hours – therefore, the decision has been made to conclude these requirements at 11.59pm on 12 October, in line with the expiry of the pandemic declaration,” the government said in a statement last week.
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