Executive Director’s Update to Principals #114: COVID Update - 5 Nov 2021

God with us
and God within us:
just because
we’re all going through it
doesn’t mean this is normal.
Every body’s a little stressed out,
‘out of our comfort zone.’
So we need to find a reserve of patience with ourselves and everyone else.
We all could use a bit more compassion, and the time to take a deep breath.
Help us draw out our more tolerant selves, the ones who can cope with this mess. Give us the space to centre ourselves and find you. At peace. In our midst. 
Amen.

~ The Corrymeela Community

COVID Update

QR code check in vs vaccination evidence requirements

We understand that the School Operations Guide doesn’t specify the difference between QR check-in and vaccination evidence. For clarity, CECV has developed the below table to differentiate what is required. The table can also be downloaded as a PDF.

Changes to the collection, recording and holding vaccination information requirements

The Department of Education and Training (DET) have reviewed their initial advice as more information becomes available. CECV have reviewed the DET policy and will adopt the following:

Schools do not need to collect, record, or hold vaccination information for the following categories of visitors or volunteers:

• delivery personnel;
• visiting parents and carers, unless they are visiting a school to perform volunteer work (for example, parent helpers);
• workers employed by external OSHC providers, because the provider must collect that information;
• a person carrying out assessments of an oral or performance examination as part of the Victorian Certificate of Education or International Baccalaureate or a person working as a venue coordinator for those examinations;
• visitors or volunteers working on school sites that are not, or are not likely to be, in close proximity to children, students or staff (for example, if work is performed wholly after hours and no staff or students are onsite or likely to be on-site).

Evidence of vaccination status for contractors and occasional visitors (non-employees)

On further review of the Directions and information available on the coronavirus.vic.gov.au website, DET has determined it is sufficient to create a vaccination record of the information that has been sighted (not copied and held) in a register.  

That means schools will not need to keep (hold) a copy of the COVID-19 vaccination certificate. Schools will need to maintain a record attesting they have sighted the vaccination certificate (or exemption). CECV will create a register template in the coming days that reflects this alternate requirement for school staff to record, hold and collect. We will share this with schools as soon as it becomes available.

Victoria-NSW border now open

The Victoria-NSW border has been re-opened overnight, as announced in a joint press release issued by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet late yesterday.

Travellers, including workers, who are entering Victoria from a green zone face no testing or quarantine requirements, but are still required to obtain a permit from Service Victoria before they arrive, to verify they aren’t COVID-19 positive or required to isolate as a close contact

There are no requirements for fully vaccinated Victorians entering New South Wales, unless they have been to a place of high concern in Victoria. A Victorian who is over 16 years and not fully vaccinated is not allowed to enter NSW for recreation or a holiday. 

See further details in the press release. 

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