Mask requirements for primary school-age students in Victoria are expected to be scrapped in term 2 if Covid cases continue to stabilise, as the state government reconsiders all the state’s restrictions.
The state recorded 12 deaths and 10,293 new cases on Tuesday – a slight increase from Monday’s 9,597 infections – while there were 376 people in hospital with the virus, including 19 people in intensive care.
In a statement announcing an easing of restrictions for cruise ship passengers and voters, the health minister, Martin Foley, said he would “reconsider all health orders” when the state reaches the Omicron BA.2 peak and case numbers begin to plateau later this month.
If epidemiological conditions are as forecast, the government expects students in years 3 to 6 will no longer be required to wear masks in the classroom in term 2, which begins on 26 April.
“We currently have the fewest restrictions in place since the beginning of the pandemic, and the sensible settings that are in place can be reviewed following the peak in cases,” Foley said.
Since the beginning of term 1, 73,097 students and 8,275 staff across government schools have reported that they have tested positive for Covid-19.
The attendance rate at government schools in Victoria has been about 89%, compared to 80% in New South Wales, where Omicron’s subvariant BA.2 surged through schools in February and March.
Earlier on Tuesday, the state’s premier, Daniel Andrews, flagged the vaccinated economy, QR codes and isolation requirements for close contacts of Covid-19 cases could be scrapped once the latest outbreak peaks.
“Once we get past the peak, once we start to see those numbers coming off, we will have options that are not available to us now,” he said.
“To have less rules while case numbers are going up, that’s probably not a smart thing to do. But once they start to come off, which we think will be quite soon, we will have options available to us.”
Under the new cruise ship protocols, which are consistent across Victoria, NSW and Queensland, all passengers aged 12 and older will need to have had two doses of a Covid vaccine to travel, while crew members will need to have had three.
Passengers will need to test negative before embarking, while crew will be tested every 14 days or when symptomatic and are required to wear masks at all times, except when in their rooms.
Passengers will also be required to wear masks when embarking and disembarking, or when they cannot socially distance indoors.
The Victorian government also confirmed vaccination requirements will not apply to any venue operating as a polling place for the upcoming federal election.
The changes come into effect at 11.59pm on Tuesday, ahead of Australia’s cruise ship ban ending later this month and the federal election on 21 May.
The government will also clarify that close contact exemptions apply to air transport services workers associated with passenger travel, such as pilots, crew, airport security and baggage handlers, meaning workers who have no symptoms and return negative rapid antigen tests can attend work.
Staff will need to take rapid tests for five days and must continue to follow isolation rules while not at work.
It comes after staff shortages have led to long queues at Melbourne airport.
