Easier at home: Regular rapid antigen testing for COVID-19 will cut isolation time in half for school students who are primary close contacts.
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AAP Newswire
Single mother-of-two Shara Scott felt a rush of relief yesterday when Victorian Education Minister James Merlino announced the isolation time for unvaccinated students would be halved with the help of rapid antigen testing.
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“We have not had a full week yet where one of the kids hasn't been identified as a close contact (since August),” she said.
Miss Scott’s 15-year-old daughter, Alexis Young, attends the Mooroopna campus of Greater Shepparton Secondary College, and her 11-year-old son, Benji Young, attends St George’s Road Primary School.
“It is impossible as a single working mum to get on with life — even though my 15-year-old and I are both double vaxxed — with the current policies in place,” Miss Scott said.
“We need this change to take place in order to be able to structure our lives and to have stability and consistency so we can work and study effectively.
“Because right now it isn't working.”
On Monday, Mr Merlino announced the isolation time for unvaccinated students would be cut from 14 to seven days by utilising rapid antigen testing.
With rapid antigen tests now approved for self-administered use across Australia, the tests will be rolled out to up to 20 schools affected by COVID-19 outbreaks this week.
It will then be broadly distributed to all schools — government, independent and Catholic — with students in isolation from November 15.
At-home rapid antigen tests will be offered to unvaccinated students, primarily those aged under 12, who are primary close contacts as a result of a positive case at school.
Good times ahead: Shara Scott hopes the rapid at-home COVID-19 tests will be a game-changer for her children Alexis Young, 15, and Benji Young, 11, pictured here on a past family holiday.
Here's how it will work.
The program will allow PCC students to return to school after seven days of quarantine, rather than 14 days, provided they have a negative PCR test result on day six, and then complete negative rapid antigen tests at home each day on days eight to 14 of what would have been the remainder of their ‘quarantine’ period.
The rapid tests from days eight to 14 must return a negative result before school starts in the morning.
The Victorian Government has already secured 200,000 rapid antigen tests for schools, with more to arrive each week.
The tests can indicate a result for COVID-19 within 15 to 30 minutes and will be provided free of charge.
The program will run on an opt-in basis.
Fully vaccinated children will not participate, given they are already only required to quarantine for seven days.
Mr Merlino said the new initiative was primarily for primary schools, because students aged 12 and above were eligible to be vaccinated.
"We would have loved to see vaccines roll out for five- to 11-year-olds this side of Christmas," he said.
Mr Merlino said this was unlikely to happen, which was “disappointing”.
"In the United States vaccines are already available for children... we want that same opportunity for Australians as early as possible," he said.
"Unfortunately the Prime Minister did indicate at national cabinet on Friday that vaccines wouldn't be available this side of Christmas."
Mr Merlino said he would hate to see the Federal Government "fail a second time in securing vaccines for our community".
"We know the pathway through this pandemic has always been vaccinations... We (in Victoria) are on track to be one of the most highly vaccinated communities in the world."
