Liverpool Girls High School reinstates mask mandate amid Covid outbreak

Six NSW schools have sent kids home for online learning this week and 16 have mask mandates in place, with the department blaming teacher shortages for the emergency Covid measures.

A Sydney high school is one of six across the state to have reinstated a mask mandate and told some students to study from home amid Covid outbreaks, with the measure sparking backlash among parents and medical professionals.

Liverpool Girls High School announced on Monday students, staff and visitors would have to wear masks for the next five days at the school.

A day later the school said students in Years 9, 10 and 11 would study from home amid the rise in Covid cases at the school.

It’s understood parents were not consulted about the move with reports suggesting students not adhering to the policy were sent to the deputy principals office and their parents called.

In a statement, principal Kirstine Gonano said students with an exemption would be “supported”.

Liverpool Girls High School have reinstated a mask mandate.

“Staff and students are complying with the temporary requirement to wear a mask, and any student with an exemption from the mandate is being supported to safely learn on school premises.

“Liverpool Girls High is expected to resume normal operations on Monday, 22 May.

“Any student that is unable to learn from home will be provided with supervision should they attend school.”

The Department of Education confirmed five other schools had cohorts learning from home as of May 18, and 16 schools have adopted mask wearing.

“Having students learning from home is a temporary COVID-smart measures aimed at limiting the spread of COVID and protecting our vulnerable students,” a spokesperson said.

“Teacher shortages play a role in these decisions and we are working hard to get to the root cause of the crisis to ensure disruption is minimised.”

The last of NSW’s Covid mask mandates were scrapped last September when masks were no longer required on public transport.

NSW Health has reported a recent surge of infections and an increase of Covid within people aged 5 to 16 coming into the winter months.

“NSW is continuing to experience elevated levels of transmission of respiratory viral

infections, including Covid-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, associated with the beginning of winter,” a NSW Health spokesperson said.

Former deputy chief of health Dr Nick Coatsworth has scrutinised the school’s mandate.

“That is a problem no child at an Australian school should be compelled to wear a mask,’ Dr Coatsworth told The Daily Mail.

Dr Nick Coatsworth. Picture: David Gray/Getty Images

Dr Coatsworth has previously been outspoken on mask mandates calling them “detrimental” towards kids and that it provides little protection as is.

“You’re not actually protecting the kids themselves because it’s a very, very mild disease in children with or without the vaccine,” he said.

“There is an overemphasis on the risks posed by Covid in a fully-vaccinated population and an overemphasis on the benefits of masking kids.”

The doctor said it was difficult to communicate in masks.

“I have trouble communicating with my patients (while wearing a mask),” Dr Coatsworth said.

“It’s hard for them to hear me, it’s hard for them to know who I am, and if that’s hard for me then I can only conclude that it would be detrimental to kids.”

Several schools have enforced a learning from home mandate in recent weeks, including Braddock Public School which sending students home briefly on May 9.