NSW Education Secretary Georgina Harrisson said the additional measures followed a comprehensive and independent risk assessment, consideration of school operations, as well as feedback from staff, unions and other stakeholders.
“The settings are similar to last term, but we are being extra vigilant to get the term off to the best start – supporting our staff and students with extra supplies of rapid antigen tests and masks, and encouraging them to stay at home if unwell,” Ms Harrisson said.
As part of a “four-week blitz” at the start of Term 3, some measures will be scaled up to ensure a strong start to the term, including:
• Providing an increased supply of free RAT kits for symptomatic testing of staff and students, which will be sent home with students this week. More than nine million RAT kits will be distributed during the first three weeks of Term 3 to replenish existing stocks in schools.
• Masks are strongly encouraged indoors for all members of staff and visitors to mainstream schools. All students will also be encouraged to wear masks.
• Boosting day cleaning at schools. This term, cleaners will increase their day clean while students and staff are onsite.
• Strong messaging about the importance of staff and students not attending school or work when unwell even if it’s the mildest of symptoms, and to undertake and report any positive Covid test results to Service NSW which is an important step for vulnerable staff and/or students in establishing eligibility for anti-viral treatment.
• Maximising natural ventilation in schools.
Individual schools will also continue to be directed to temporarily adopt additional “circuit breaker” measures where there are increasing case numbers across multiple cohorts week-on-week and/or increasing case numbers in staff.