Keeping schools open sending Tasmania ‘mixed messages’

Calls to shutter Tasmania’s schools and for more community testing for coronavirus dominated a subdued Question Time in state parliament today.

CALLS to shutter Tasmania’s schools and for more community testing for coronavirus had dominated a subdued Question Time in state parliament today.

Premier Gutwein came under sustained pressure from Labor and the Greens to close schools.

“Every day that schools remain open you are sending a mixed message to the community,” Labor leader Rebecca White said.

But the Premier said the measure was not yet supported by the experts — but he was open to changing his position.

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“If that advice should change, then I will act in a heartbeat,” he said.

“There will be more measures, there will be, there has to be, they will be extreme.”

“I will not shirk the responsibility that has been placed in me, and my cabinet will not shirk that responsibility.

“Options to take more severe measures will be discussed this evening.”

Mr Gutwein said the Education Department was preparing to help parents who wanted to keep their children away from school.

“Any parent who does not want their children to be in the school environment can keep them at home.

“If parents want to take their children our of school and not send them they must be responsible for those children out of the school environment.”

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Mr Gutwein said children must not be allowed to treat their absence as a holiday, but rather must be supervised to obey social distancing rules.

He acknowledged and thanks all those working in the state’s education system.

and said many students did not have access to the internet at home and many families did not have the resources to homeschool their students.

“We know that we have a significant number of children who turn up every day and the only breakfast that they receive is in our schools,” he said.

“We know that the safest place for those children is in our schools.

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“The impact on our critical workforce and the potential impact on elderly relatives is also of relevance.”

Greens leader Cassy O’Connor fought back tears as she appealed to the Premier to close schools.

And independent MP Madeleine Ogilvie appealed for more COVID-19 testing in the community.

Mr Gutwein said testing in Tasmania was already in excess of the relevant guidelines.

“We are testing in line with the national guidelines – in fact we are testing more than the national guidelines,” he said.

“I’m not advised by Twitter, I am not advised by social media. I am advised by the best health professionals in the country and that is what they are advising me to do.”

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