Students over the age of eight are being asked to return to wearing masks in class as the number of daily COVID-19 cases across Victoria continues to hover around 10,000.
A joint letter to parents from bodies representing Victorian public, independent and Catholic schools has asked school students aged eight and over to wear masks in class.
While mask wearing in schools is not being mandated by the government, the letter from the Department of Education, Independent Schools Victoria and the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria did not say mask wearing remained optional.
"We are asking all students aged 8 and over and all staff in all schools across Victoria to wear masks when in class (except where removing a mask is necessary for clear communication) from now to the end of winter," the letter reads.
Students will not be required to wear masks outdoors, and school activities such as sport, music and performances will continue.
The group is also asking children wear masks on public transport.
The Victorian government said the request did not signify a change in policy regarding masks in the education system.
Education Minister Natalie Hutchins said the broader education sector was consulted about the request.
"What we are doing is taking the fresh advice that's come from the Health Minister, and we're making sure that we're doing what we can to make schools as safe as possible in the current environment," she said.
Opposition blast mask 'mandate by stealth'
Shadow Education Minister David Hodgett said the move was "mandate by stealth" and would leave parents confused.
"Here today again we're hearing, 'You should wear a mask, oh but we're not going to make you, but we're strongly recommending, but we're not going to mandate it'," he said.
"I think it's clearly enforcing a mandate by stealth and I don't think parents, when they wake up this morning and hear media reports or read media reports are going to be very happy with this at all."
Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas rejected the opposition's claims, stating mask use would remain at the discretion of parents and schools.
"These are decisions that will be taken by families and indeed by schools. No child will be disadvantaged as a consequence of not wearing a mask, I want to be very clear about that," Ms Thomas said.
"The advice is that masks are effective in a school setting and therefore it's entirely appropriate that the government provide this advice that masks be worn."
Ms Thomas said mandating mask use was unnecessary across the state given the length of the pandemic.
"In our third COVID winter, Victorians know what to do. They don't need to be mandated to do this," she said.
Deakin University epidemiology chair Catherine Bennett said understanding how the virus was spreading would help form an assessment of whether focusing on school children wearing masks would be effective.
"It really is important when we're doing public health interventions that they're evidence-based and we use that same evidence, then, to reinforce the messaging with that," she said.
"It would be really great to see what we are learning about the virus in the community – which groups are at risk — and using that same information to target the groups that we really get those messaging out to and using the data to reinforce those measures as well."
She said it would be helpful for daily data to be released showing the age of those being infected with COVID, to help paint a picture of where transmission was occurring in the community.
Professor Bennett said public health measures should only be in place for as long as the benefits clearly outweighed any potential disadvantages.
"We've had two-and-a-half years of pandemic to know that we can safely say to parents, 'your child won't be disadvantaged wearing a mask and infection rates are going up in children, therefore we're encouraging this really strongly now'," she said.
"That's a different message to just putting it out there without backing it with evidence."
University of Melbourne epidemiologist Tony Blakely said the move was "sensible and proportionate" while COVID-19 cases were surging.
He said workplaces should also be encouraged to enforce mask-wearing.
"We need to be doing things across the board to take the heat out of the surge," he said.
Omicron puts state's health system under pressure
The mask request comes as Victoria sees increased pressure on the state's health services due to a rising number of Omicron cases.
The state reported reported 12,201 new COVID cases and 25 deaths on Tuesday.
There are 897 people hospitalised with COVID, including 34 in intensive care.
Victoria's health department said there had been a 99 per cent increase in Victorians in hospital with COVID-19 since June 22.
ICU admissions due to COVID-19 have grown by 60 per cent in that time, and there has been a 47 per cent increase in healthcare workforce furlough.
It is expected the third wave of Omicron cases will peak in August.
Yesterday, the Victorian government announced the expansion of a virtual emergency department program in a bid to free up ambulances and hospitals which are under increasing strain.
The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department was set up at the Northern Hospital in October 2020. It allows patients to have a consultation with a doctor or nurse without having to be taken to hospital by ambulance.
It has already treated more than 28,000 patients.
Premier Daniel Andrews said 71 per cent of its patients avoided going to hospital after receiving advice and instructions via video conference.
"That means there are less trips, less transport, more ambulances freed up to attend to the next triple-0 emergency or next lights-and-sirens emergency," he said.
