Testing time for teachers

TEACHERS are likely to be subject to surveillance Covid testing, while tests for students will also come under consideration, as national cabinet meets on Thursday.

While there is a “strong case” for regular rapid testing of teachers, there are question marks about what it will mean for students.

The potential for Australians to have to isolate for only five days while recovering from Covid is also on the table, with the federal government only waiting for the health advice to change to drop it from seven days.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scott Morrison acknowledged it had been a summer of frustration as Covid case numbers skyrocketed, people queued for tests and food was missing from supermarket shelves.

NSW is considering providing parents with RATS to test their school-aged children up to twice a week.

Ahead of national cabinet, Mr Morrison said there was a strong case for surveillance testing teachers, similar to healthcare workers.

“The predominant way I’m advised that the virus comes into a community like that is actually through the teachers, not through the students,” he said. But Mr Morrison said the medical advice was mixed on the benefits of testing students without symptoms.

“The medical advice that we have received I couldn’t say is strongly in favour. That would be a very generous statement,” the Prime Minister said.

Each state would make their own call on the matter.

A Queensland Education Department spokeswoman left the door open to adopting testing requirements after national cabinet discussions.

“Work is currently underway across all the states and territories to develop a nationally consistent approach regarding testing and isolation requirements,” she said.

Queensland has already delayed the start of the school term by two weeks to avoid the peak of the Omicron wave.

Mr Morrison said a five-day isolation period after testing positive for Covid would be considered, but chief medical officer Paul Kelly was advising against it at this time.

“The most recent information that we have is that post five days you’ve still got 30 per cent that are remaining infectious,” Mr Morrison said.

In Queensland, the current rule is a person can leave isolation seven days after testing positive if in the previous 48 hours they have not had a fever or acute respiratory symptoms, otherwise it is 10 days.