Tasmanian Covid school plans revealed for second half of Term 1

Triage tents for Covid patients outside the Royal Hobart Hospital Emergency Department are being moved indoors amid an escalation plan downgrade. DETAILS >>

Triage tents for Covid patients outside the Royal Hobart Hospital Emergency Department are being moved indoors amid an escalation plan downgrade.

State Health Commander Kathrine Morgan-Wicks said the RHH was de-escalating its Covid-19 management escalation plan from level two to level one.

“The move follows the recommendations of the Regional Health Emergency Management Team and is based on the current low level of COVID-positive inpatients and COVID-related staff absences,” Ms Morgan-Wicks said.

Ambulances who deliver patients to the Royal Hobart Hospital have had less space in the ambulance bay due to tents erected for COVID patients, which are now being moved inside the hospital. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones.

The changes come into effect from 8am Tuesday, but not all protective measures will be ditched.

“To protect staff and patients, current personal protection equipment (PPE) rules will remain and staff and visitors will continue to be screened at hospital entry points,” Ms Morgan-Wicks said.

Triage tents set up outside the ED will be relocated inside the hospital by the end of the week, marking a change to the screening process.

“This will trigger changes to the parking of ambulances and ambulance triage areas over the course of this week,” Ms Morgan-Wicks said.

The external Covid patient tent had taken up space on Liverpool St where ambulances had typically parked.

The state’s four major hospitals the RHH, Launceston General Hospital, North West Regional Hospital and Mersey Community Hospital previously de-escalated Covid protocols from level three to level two on February 2.

It comes as the state recoreded 784 new cases on Monday, bringing the total to 5574 active cases.

The Department of Health Tasmania Facebook page reported 21 Covid-related hospitalisations, nine of which were patients being treated for coronavirus symptoms and five of whom were in the intensive care unit.

New normal: Latest Covid school plan revealed

Stage two of the Covid-Safe schools plan has been unveiled by the government as students head into the second half of Term one.

Education minister Roger Jaensch said all of the Covid rules from stage one would be carried over, including mask mandates and RAT tests for those with symptoms.

“As we transition to living with Covid, this forward planning helps ensure our schools can stay open in a safe and measured way,” Mr Jaensch said.

“When Covid-safe measures are in place, and everyone does their part and works together, students are given the best learning opportunities.”

Roger Jaensch, Minister for Education, at Bowen Road Primary School where he released the COVID-safe schools' operational plan. Picture: Linda Higginson

Mr Jaensch said students and teachers should get used to using outdoor learning facilities more as part of the new normal.

Bowen Road Primary School principal Susan Richardson said the new open-air classrooms had taken some getting used to, but now the children loved them.

“It’s just opening up a whole new area of teaching and learning for the children - it’s just wonderful,” Mrs Richardson said.

“We try and keep things as normal as possible, but it’s the support of the department of education that’s allowed us to do all of this.”

Labor’s education minister Josh Willie said it was abundantly clear that the government was unprepared to handle Covid heading into autumn and winter.

As Tasmania enters the colder months, Mr Willie said the government’s current plans would soon show their flaws.

Bowen Road Primary School Principal, Susan Richardson at Bowen Road Primary School, Moonah. Picture: Linda Higginson

“Does Minister Jaensch plan to keep windows open? Does he plan to operate outdoor learning spaces in the cold and rain?” Mr Willie said.

“The Gutwein Government assured Tasmanians our schools were ready when it opened the borders to Covid in December – but with Covid now in our schools it’s clear the plan was deeply flawed with a lack of information about proper ventilation and no word from the government about how many relief or retired teachers it has been able to draft into classrooms from its claimed pool of many thousands.”

Greens MP Rosalie Woodruff said Stage One of the government’s Covid-Safe school plan was a “disgrace”, and that Stage Two remain wholly unchanged.

“The disturbing thing is the government describes their first plan as a success… when more than 1700 primary school children have been infected in a virus outbreak,” Dr Woodruff said.

“So many teachers are away or are close contacts. This is not a success when there is not a single change in their direction but we’re coming into winter.”

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