Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein has defended the state education minister's decision to holiday overseas during back-to-school coronavirus preparations.
Sarah Courtney has contracted COVID-19 and is isolating in France after a positive PCR test result, Mr Gutwein revealed on Wednesday.
Public school students return to the classroom on February 9, with the state government rolling out COVID-19 packs to all children and fixing some 8000 classroom windows for better ventilation.