Calls to free kids from last Covid ‘shackles’; Public transport mask mandate to stay

Parents have hit out at school mask rules, saying “confusing” advice is wreaking havoc on children’s social and developmental growth.

Parents are calling for the mask recommendation to be removed in schools following the relaxation of a range of covid restrictions this week.

Children aged over eight and all staff are still “strongly recommended” by the Department of Health to wear masks inside in class or when they can’t physically distance outside.

This is despite Department of Education guidelines for schools that state that masks should be worn “through to the end of winter”.

Masks will also remain compulsory on public transport, despite the easing of mandates on flights from September 9.

An Education Department spokesperson said the state government welcomed “the decisions made at National Cabinet to continue a nationally consistentapproach to the management of Covid”.

“While masks are recommended indoors under current settings, it’s not mandatory for students to wear masks in schools,” hesaid.

This means children aged over eight and all staff are still “strongly recommended” by the Department of Health to wear masksinside in class or when they can’t physically distance outside.

Parents are calling for school mask recommendations to be scrapped. Picture: Mark Stewart

Moran Dvir from parent advocacy group Shadow Pandemic Victoria, said masks on children was “the last shackle Dan Andrew’s needs to release”.

“It’s a leftover relic from the last two years of overreach and using children as pawns with no regard to the developmental and social damage continuing to be inflicted on kids,” Ms Dvir said.

She said adherence to the mask recommendation varied by school and teacher.

“Some schools have teachers who are die-hard mask fanatics and are individually enforcing masks for their class only,” she said.

Many schools are still encouraging children to wear masks, such as one Sunshine Catholic school which held a “Casual Clothes Day and Crazy Masks Day” on August 26.

“The face mask will be optional, but we encourage you to wear one because it will keep others safe and it will be beautiful at the same time,” the flier said.

However, Jenni Rickard, president of the Australian Parents’ Council, said most schools recommended but did not enforce the wearing of masks.

“No one is compelled and it is up to the student to choose to do so,” she said.

“We applaud them for making this choice – at this stage of the pandemic it’s about choice,” she said.

Gail McHardy, chief executive of Parents Victoria, said parents were waiting “to hear what the Victorian chief health officer recommends for the next few weeks of school term”.

“I’m sure all our school communities are all looking forward to some nicer weather in the coming months,” she said.

An infectious diseases physician says enforcing mask advice in schools ‘doesn’t make sense’.

Malcolm Elliott, president of the Australian Primary Principals Association, said he hoped for consistency across jurisdictions.

“Variations in approach lead to confusion for families,” he said.

Infectious diseases physician Peter Collignon said it doesn’t make sense to enforce mask advice in schools because children are at much less risk of becoming infected or transmitting the virus.

“To have children wearing masks in schools and not adults in the workplace makes no sense to me from a public health point of view and from an individual point of view,” Mr Collignon said.

“All the data shows children are at much less of a risk than getting it compared to adults,” Dr Collignon said.

Public transport mask mandate here to stay

Victorian public transport users will be masking up well into spring, despite mandates being scrapped for passengers on domestic flights from September 9.

Transport Minister Ben Carroll said it still wasn’t time to get rid of masks on public transport.

“Masks remain an effective tool to drive down infections,” Minister Carroll said on Thursday.

“I know when I get on an aeroplane I will certainly – even if the person hasn’t got a mask on next to me – be wearing a mask.

“Whether it’s aeroplanes, buses, trams or trains, masks remain your best defence.

“I am very keen to continue to see masks remain on public transport.”

A man wears a surgical face mask on public transport in Melbourne. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Mr Carroll said the government had distributed more than 125,000 masks to public transport users.

It comes as mask wearing on trains, trams and buses has declined in recent months.

“People will often wear a mask to the city or to an event and then, say they’re at the football, they’ve been with a big crowd without a mask. And then you see sometimes compliance, particularly late at night, go down,” Mr Carroll said.

“We’ll continue to follow the health advice but I think masks are here to stay in one shape or another, because people overseas have been wearing masks on public transport for years, pre the pandemic, and I think masks will be a feature for many closed environments in a range of settings.”

Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas couldn’t say when the public transport mask mandate would be lifted.

“I will continue to consider the health advice but at the moment, there are no plans in relation to changes there,” Minister Thomas said.

“We know that on our public transport system it can get very crowded. So putting a mask on, it’s a very simple, easy way to reduce transmission of the virus.

“Here in Victoria, we are still requiring masks to be worn on public transport. Our public transport system is very well used and it’s a sensible precaution that Victorians can take.”

Infectious diseases physician Dr Peter Collignon said Victoria should move to “strongly” encouraging mask wearing on public transport, rather than mandating it.

“The issue about mask mandates in general is you can’t convince people they make a lot of difference,” Dr Collignon said.

“At this stage, masks probably ought to be strongly encouraged rather than mandated.

“My advice would be, if you’re in a crowded indoor situation, which is often the case on public transport, you would wear a mask.”

Dr Collignon said while there is “no convincing evidence” mask mandates work, there are still advantages to wearing one.

“If you’re in a crowded, indoor situation, masks probably decrease your chance of getting infected by about 15 per cent,” he said.