The Department for Education has unveiled key features of its plan to keep staff and students safe from COVID-19 ahead of State borders reopening tomorrow (23 November).
Commenting on the South Australian COVID-19 Forward Plan for Education, Minister for Education, John Gardner said the Department would have a centralised contact tracing team to work with SA Health’s Communicable Disease Control Branch in the event of a confirmed case in one of the State’s public schools, preschools or children’s centres.
Mr Gardner said under the Plan, masks would remain optional and visitors, including parents and volunteers, would be allowed on school sites.
“We are not anticipating significant alterations, but we will be flexible and adapt to changes if necessary, including re-introducing face masks if SA Health requires it,” Mr Gardner said.
He said key features of the Plan included all eligible students (aged 12+) strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated; masks optional indoors for all staff on site and students in secondary settings; masks recommended for all adult visitors to site; schools, preschools and early childhood services to remain open unless directed to close; if SA Health identified a significant regional/localised outbreak, the Department will advise when to activate remote learning.
The Minister said a ventilation audit of 900 education sites and a trial of air purifiers in school settings was progressing, with full results still a few weeks away.
He said the Department introduced a vaccine mandate last week (16 December), with staff and teachers required to have their first dose of an approved vaccine by 11 December.
The Department’s one-page Plan can be accessed at this PS News link.
