The Department of Education is celebrating the hard work of school and office staff following the successful rollout of rapid antigen tests (RATs) to children at more than 3,000 schools across the State.
Secretary of the Department, Georgina Harrisson said every school in NSW had received RATs for students and staff in one of the largest logistical undertakings in recent history.
Ms Harrisson said around 8.2 million kits were distributed to Government and non-Government schools and early childhood centres across the State, including to some of the most remote areas in NSW.
“The rollout of RATs was a whole-of-Department effort from corporate staff volunteering to work round-the-clock at the education facility that doubled as a distribution centre; staff driving kits to schools in their own vehicles to overcome staff shortages in the transport sector; and school staff returning to distribute the kits to families,” Ms Harrisson said.
“It also included the first delivery of kits from Sydney airport in an English-style Hackney black cab and one Sydney school delivering its RATs to some families via ferry.
“Staff involved in the successful distribution of COVID-safe packages to schools and then on to families and students should be rightly proud of their efforts.”
Ms Harrisson said it was no exaggeration to say the effort had been one of the most challenging logistical undertakings in recent memory.
She encouraged parents and carers to test their children for COVID-19 twice a week for the next four weeks.
She said students who tested positive should stay home and isolate in line with NSW Health guidelines and advice.
“Although testing is not mandatory, we strongly encourage students to do so to keep their friends and teachers safe,” Ms Harrisson said.
