Executive Director’s Update to Principals #11: COVID Update - 18 February 2022

God of the home and God of the traveller,
we begin to dig in for an uncertain season,
and embark on a journey together.

We know in each step.
you are there alongside us:
a guide, a protector, a friend.

May each day on the road bring us closer together closer to a land of grateful reunion
closer to the place you call home.

Amen.

Key Points from the Victorian Premier Press Conference, Thursday 17 February 2002

Surveillance testing to continue.

Deputy Premier, James Merlino, said modeling from the Burnet Institute showed surveillance testing had prevented 21,000 COVID cases at Victorian schools.   

Twice weekly, voluntary surveillance testing will continue, with more RAT kits made available.  We understand distribution has been challenging, however, CEB has been informed that DET is commencing distribution again from today.

Air purifiers.

The government also announced that they will deliver additional air purifiers to low-fee Catholic schools. The second tranche of air purifiers will start delivery later this term and air purifiers will be with schools by 1 June.  We will provide more details on these announcements when available.

Mask mandates.

Remain, however, we expect more information next week for workplaces.  We are unclear about any possible change for schools at this time.

Some restrictions to ease from 6:00 PM today.

From 6:00 PM, Friday 18 February, as part of new Pandemic Orders to be signed by the Minister for Health, density quotients of one person per two square meters in place at hospitality and entertainment venues will be removed. Density limits do not apply in a school setting.

QR Codes.

From 6:00 PM Friday 18 February, QR code check-in requirements will no longer be in place in schools.  We expect more advice on those settings in an upcoming CECV School Operations Guide, including any change to the requirements to check the vaccination status of parents/visitors.

For more information, you can read/share the official press release, found below.

Updated School Operations Guide or Directions.

We anticipate changes to Pandemic Orders made by the Victorian Government in the coming days in keeping with the announcements made in the press conference on Thursday, 17 February 2022.   

This will likely mean an updated CECV School Operations Guide.  We will communicate any changes as soon as practical.  Schools should continue to follow the current arrangements until an official, documented change is released.

Additional COVID-19 Information

Rapid Antigen Testing in Schools Survey.

The Department of Health (DH) is seeking to gather feedback from parents/carers and staff to review and improve the implementation of the rapid antigen testing program in schools. 

DH has identified a representative sample of schools and has already been in contact with a number of those schools to distribute surveys to parents and staff respectively.  

If you are contacted by DH regarding these surveys, please support the request where you can.

Obligation to collect, record and hold vaccination information.

Schools are reminded of the obligation of the COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination (Specified Facilities) Order to maintain a record of the vaccination status of all education workers. Please ensure all education workers in DOBCEL schools receive a copy of the memorandum and FAQ published Wednesday, 16 February 2022 in the Weekly Newsletter Update #3. 

This must include the worker’s name, vaccination status, and date they became fully vaccinated (boosted), or if exempt the period of the exemption. 

Employers may be required to produce this record or register if asked by an Authorised Officer (e.g., WorkSafe or Department of Health official) as evidence of compliance with the Order.  This should be a record maintained by the employer. Such as the template register shared in COVID Update #10 (Wednesday, 16 February 2022).

Additionally, the employee can self-report their vaccination status on the CEVN PRS ensuring DOBCEL and/or CECV can report deidentified compliance information to DET, DH or another Authorised Officer if required.

Updated - PRS Records and Reporting.

The CEVN PRS has been improved and now includes a Detailed Vaccination Report for school-based employees on CEVN.

The report can be run by an authorised person at the school (admins and principals).  Unlike the Vaccination Status Report which only includes:

• CNumber,  
• Staff Name, and  
• Status. (Partially Vaccinated, Fully Vaccinated, Unvaccinated, Exempt)

The new Detailed Vaccination Report also includes: 

• Vaccination type (e.g., PF Pfizer, PFB Pfizer booster), 
• Date of last vaccination, 
• Remarks/comments, and 
• Certificate Number.

Where school staff have recorded their vaccination status in the PRS, this will make it easier for schools to determine from a single report, the booster deadline dates for your staff. 

It will also assist schools to determine where this record has not been maintained to remind staff to update their PRS record.  Alternately, schools may determine to update this for staff centrally.  This is a school-based decision.

Update to Pandemic Order – incorrect reference in last COVID Update

In the last COVID Update #10 (16 February) 2022 we included a section shared by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS).  We recognise that this incorrectly referenced the COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination (Specified Facilities) Order No 4., which was superseded by Order No. 5 at 11.59 pm Friday, 11 February.  We apologise for any confusion this may have caused.

The Order was again amended to clarify the exceptions (Division 2, Section 11-12) to being fully vaccinated with a booster.

We recommend if an employee is seeking to exercise this exception that the principal contact their Education Consultant to discuss.  This Order changed effective 11.59 pm Friday, 11 February 2022 and we anticipate further change may be made in a future Order as it is inconsistent with other COVID-19 advice.

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