All pupils return to school as NSW records 294 local COVID-19 cases, four deaths - Sydney Morning Herald

NSW has reported 294 new local COVID-19 cases and four deaths, as half a million students return to face-to-face learning across the state.

For 12- to 15-year-olds in NSW, who are among those students returning to school on Monday, 77.9 per cent have had one dose and 50.8 per cent are fully vaccinated.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Education Minister Sarah Mitchell at Fairvale High School, in Fairfield West, on Monday.Credit:Nick Moir

In the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday, 59,612 tests were done.

A total of 474 patients are in NSW hospitals with COVID-19 and, of those, 116 are in intensive care. Of the state’s population aged 16 and over, 93 per cent have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 84.8 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Most of the 294 new cases were reported outside metropolitan Sydney, with 59 in the Hunter New England Local Health District, to the city’s north, and 46 in the Murrumbidgee LHD in southern NSW, mostly in Albury.

Thirty cases were from Mid North Coast LHD, where cases have been rising in the Kempsey local government area.

NSW Health’s Jeremy McAnulty said the suburbs with the most cases recorded on Sunday were in St Johns Park in south-west Sydney, Lavington, Thurgoona, Albury, North Albury, East Albury and West Kempsey.

Four COVID-19 deaths were reported on Monday: an unvaccinated person in their 40s, two people in their 60s who had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and one person in their 70s who had received both doses. Dr McAnulty said all had underlying health conditions.

Asked on Monday morning about Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ recent announcement regarding eased restrictions for the fully vaccinated on Friday and again on November 24, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said his government was “always revisiting” its plan.

He said the COVID and Economic Recovery Committee, previously called the crisis cabinet, revisits the state’s restrictions each week. Changes are scheduled for November 1 and December 1.

Students return to school at Fairvale High School, in Fairfield West, on Monday.Credit:Nick Moir

“What we need to do is have that strong health response, which we’ve made some substantial investments in, but then ultimately open up as safely as possible, so we get [people] back into work and provide for their families,” he said.

“We’ve always had a balanced and measured approach here in NSW. We’ll continue to have that approach as we move forward.”

He said it was a “long journey” and, as the state opens up, case numbers and patients in hospital would increase, but he was confident that “we are ready”.

All students return to NSW classrooms

More than 500,000 students in years 2 to 11 returned to face-to-face teaching across the state on Monday, one week after kindergarten, year 1 and year 12 students went back to their classrooms.

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell on Monday announced school sport would resume from November 1.

“School sport can resume on site, schools can utilise external sport facilities in line with community sport guidelines, and schools can engage in inter-school sport outside of school hours,” the state government said in a statement.

Ms Mitchell said the return of school sport would be COVID-safe and not involve external visitors.

She also announced a widening of the NSW Education Standards Authority’s special consideration program for HSC written exams.

“We know that this year’s class of 2021, the year 12 students, have been impacted,” she said. “Many of them did not have the HSC year that they had anticipated.”

She said any students who had been impacted for at least six weeks due to COVID-19 restrictions during the learning from home period would be eligible.

She said principals would put these applications forward, including for individuals, and “whole group cohorts” would be accepted for consideration, such as those in the former local government areas of concern in Sydney’s west and south-west.

Marks will be moderated in a way that fairly considers the learning environment for students this year, Ms Mitchell said.

Mr Perrottet acknowledged there would be challenges as students across all years returned to school.

“We know this will be bumpy, but it was very important we got kids back into the classroom as quickly as possible,” he said.

Sixteen schools are closed after members of their school communities tested positive for COVID-19.

In a statement on Sunday night, NSW Education said the following schools would be closed until further notice for cleaning and contact tracing to commence, after being linked to positive cases:

• Hume Public School, Lavington;
• Bowen Public School, Orange;
• Rivers Secondary College, Richmond River High Campus, Lismore;
• Mount Druitt Public School, Mount Druitt;
• Eglinton Public School, Eglinton;
• Bonnyrigg Heights Public School, Bonnyrigg Heights;
• Albion Park High School, Albion Park;
• Bringelly Public School, Bringelly;
• Thornton Public School, Thornton;
• Russell Vale Public School, Russell Vale;
• Kendall Public School, Kendall;
• Bradbury Public School, Bradbury;
• Irrawang Public School, Raymond Terrace;
• Northbourne Public School, Marsden Park;
• Mayfield West Public School, Newcastle; and
• South West Rocks Public School, South West Rocks.

“All staff and students are asked to self-isolate and follow the NSW Health advice and protocols,” an Education Department spokesperson said.

Auburn North Public School, Green Hill Public School, Curl Curl North Public School and Hinchinbrook Public School all reopened on Monday after being deep-cleaned.

President of the NSW Teachers Federation, Angelo Gavrielatos, said that, while many families would no doubt be thrilled, principals at some schools had been “scrambling” in the past week or so to tackle staffing shortages after the staged return schedule was brought forward by the state government.

“The latest statistics suggest we have 2000 to 3000 teachers who may not have met the double-vaccination status as yet,” he told Nine’s Today show on Monday morning.

“There will be pockets where its impact is already more severe. New reports yesterday suggest 160 schools are more affected than others.”

From November 8, all adults working on school sites will need to be fully vaccinated.

By last Friday morning, nearly 110,000 of the department’s 130,000-odd staff had provided their vaccination status, with more than 95 per cent fully vaccinated.

With Broede Carmody and Jordan Baker

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2021-10-24 22:22:48Z
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