The Victorian Education Department is protecting young Victorians during the current Covid wave by requiring all students aged 8 and over to wear masks until the end of winter.
A public health recommendation to wear mask indoors operates in Tasmania, and Premier Rockliff should clarify there is an expectation that children in Tasmania’s education system will also wear masks indoors for their safety.
Mask wearing to keep infection rates for all respiratory illnesses as low as possible will reduce the amount of staff and student absences, improve learning across schools, and keep children better protected against a potentially serious virus.
The Victorian Government is making sure as many staff and students are protected from Covid and other respiratory illnesses this winter, while the Tasmanian Liberals are refusing to set the necessary requirement for indoor mask wearing.
The rate of Covid infections and hospitalisations are climbing towards figures seen during the January peak. Without the simple step of setting an expectation for indoor mask wearing for Tasmanian school children, the Minister for Health is failing in his responsibility to keep them as safe as possible.