From Monday 30 May 2022, face masks in education and care settings (including OSHC services) will be strongly recommended (but not required) for all adults (including visitors) while indoors, except when it impedes ability to educate and care for children.
Face mask use in Outbreaks
- Face masks will be required to be worn indoors by all staff and adult visitors for a 14-day period, in education and care settings, at the whole of site level, where COVID-19 transmission reaches certain thresholds, based on SA Health advice:
- Where an individual room reports 10 cases or above over 7 days; and or
- Where a site reports 5 rooms with 5 cases or more over 7 days.
- These thresholds are used to guide public health action on a case by case basis.
- If your service reaches an outbreak threshold, Staff should be advised of the dates that face masks will be required
- Exemptions can be made for staff who have a medical condition, such as problems with their breathing, a serious skin condition on the face, a disability, or a mental health condition.
Anyone who is a close contact and is aged 12 years and older will need to wear a mask when they leave the house for 7 days following exposure as per the SA Health close contact guidelines
Testing, isolating and quarantine for school and OSHC settings will still be followed when managing positive COVID-19 cases.
Children and staff should not attend ECEC services if they are showing any symptoms of COVID-19. These include fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, loss of taste/smell, muscle/joint pains, diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting, extreme tiredness, unexplained chest pain or conjunctivitis. If symptoms occur at any time they should not attend the service, and undertake a COVID test. Local policies for managing COVID-19. If you have any questions about the mask requirements, please do not hesitate to discuss with the Nominated Supervisor.
