Currently, Victoria has listed a number of states and territories as orange and red zones, meaning any Victorians returning from:

orange zones — must obtain an orange zone permit to enter Victoria, isolate on arrival, get tested within 72 hours and stay isolated until they get a negative result
red zones — must obtain a red zone permit to enter Victoria, travel directly home upon arrival, get tested at the required time points (within 72 hours of arrival and on or about day 13 post arrival) and quarantine for 14 days.

If any staff have been in an orange or red zone during the school holidays can you please let me know ASAP so we can make arrangements for next week.

Due to the current situation nationally, some students may be returning from a designated orange or red zone and required to undertake home-based quarantine on return.

The Department of Health has sent a text message to all Victorians who have returned from red zones on a red zone permit, advising of the requirements to undertake 14 days of home-based quarantine and undergo testing at required time points. The text message also asks families with school-aged children to contact the DET COVID-19 Hotline, unless they have already informed their child’s school.

Thanks to the state recording a full week without any new locally acquired coronavirus cases, masks will no longer be mandatory in Victorian schools and private workplaces from and including Friday 9 July, except where staff are interacting with the public.

On the advice of the Victorian Chief Health Officer, restrictions in metropolitan Melbourne were brought into alignment with regional Victoria from 11.59pm Thursday 8 July 2021, which means all COVIDSafe settings are the same state-wide. These settings will remain in place for at least two weeks.

More detail is available in the School Operations Guide (login first and then refresh) with new information highlighted.

Face masks

School staff (primary and secondary) and secondary school students aged 12 or older:
- are not required to wear a face mask while at school (or when attending an Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) program), when interacting exclusively with staff and students from their school
- must carry a face mask at all times, unless a lawful exception applies
- should wear a face mask indoors at school when interacting with external visitors, including parents/carers and staff/students from other schools.
School staff (primary and secondary) who work in largely public-facing roles, e.g. reception staff, must wear a face mask indoors at all times.
Face masks are mandatory for all school staff and school students aged 12 or older on public transport, taxis or ride-share vehicles. This includes travelling to and from school on public transport or in a vehicle with others not from your household.
School staff and students must also abide by face mask requirements when attending public venues.
Visitors and parents must observe indoor face mask requirements.

Tax Time