NSW Set To Relax Bi-Weekly RATs For Teachers & Students

NSW children and teachers can ditch the twice weekly rapid antigen testing from the end of next week.

No longer deemed a necessary surveillance measure by the NSW government, parents, teachers and school staff will instead be provided eight testing kits to use at their discretion. 

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Premier Dominic Perrottet thanked parents, teachers, school administrators and principals for their support on Sunday and said that and RATs were a significant support in enabling students to return to face-to-face learning. 

“It was vital we got our students back in the classroom after two years of disruption to their education, ­social lives and wellbeing, and RATs have played an important part in ­enabling their safe return,” he said. 

“We are therefore providing every student and staff member across the state with another eight RATs for them to use at their discretion when they consider necessary, following a four-week program of surveillance testing."

“The packs are there for families and staff to use at their discretion for their own peace of mind — for example, when a student is feeling unwell with a sore throat or cough,” he said.

Family and staff “RAT packs” will be delivered to schools in the coming week.

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said she was confident in NSW parents continuing to do the right thing.

“We know our measures work; transmission in schools is extremely low, and there have been no school closures since students returned this year, despite the levels of community transmission,” she said.

Early childhood employees will also receive additional free testing kits.

It comes as NSW reported 5582 new cases on Sunday, and sadly 21 deaths.

There are currently 1280 people in hospital with COVID with 77 patients in intensive care.

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