Australia’s states and territories will return to their own plans rather than the nationally consistent approach that Prime Minister Scott Morrison had sought before Thursday’s cabinet meeting.
“The operational plans for returning to school will be announced individually by each jurisdiction over the next few days, and some will actually announce them,” Morrison told Canberra reporters.
“These school management plans are in line with the principles agreed last week.”
Morrison has talked a lot in the national cabinet about how Australian state and territory leaders will coordinate new semester arrangements amid a wave of new coronavirus omicron variants that are sweeping the country. Said there was.
“So the states are coordinating it with respect to their opening arrangements, but they will be in line with the principle of opening schools and keeping them open,” he said.
“This is especially true for the children of key workers from day one to the first phase.
“Therefore, Queensland and South Australia have different opening arrangements for key workers, but children can attend these schools, which is very important for their impact on the workforce. “
The result was not what Morrison wanted when the school stated on January 10 that it wanted to “harmonize” a consistent set of principles in all states when the school resumed its plans.
Don’t wait for double vaccination of children
Morrison confirmed that the school would resume even if the children’s double dose rate was low.
“At both the federal and territory levels, there is no advice that schools should not be reopened unless they are double vaccinated,” he said.
“Therefore, it is not set as a condition for the school to return in order for double vaccination to be carried out.”
He said the time left before the school started to resume double vaccination for children aged 5 to 11 was not “practical”.
“And it wasn’t seen as an obstacle to the reopening of school from a health perspective,” he said.
Meanwhile, he advised his parents to double vaccination for children over the age of 12.
States and territories also indicate that they will follow expert advice regarding the implementation of staff or student surveillance testing systems.
Professor Paul Kelly, Chief Medical Officer across the country, said the number of cases of Omicron is expected to increase as children move around cities and regions when they return to school.
But he said it was important to reopen school.
“This is very important for all reasons of children’s health, physical, mental, social and developmental reasons, so its benefits and balance are as good as the important workers in trouble. I have to take it. “He said.
Australia began vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 years from 10 January, with 21.6% as of 20 January (21.6%)pdf) Have at least one dose for children under 12 years of age.
Health Minister Greg Hunt ABC Radio On Thursday, children’s vaccination rates were just over 20%, but it was safe for schools to reopen for their children.
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Marina Chan is a Melbourne-based Australian reporter with a focus on Australian news. Contact her at [email protected]