Rules for close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases in schools will shortly changed in NSW.
The NSW Government today announced close contacts of COVID-positive people at schools will no longer need to isolate from next Monday, November 29.
Here is everything you need to know about the new rules.
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What are the new changes for schools?
From November 29, students who are close contacts of a positive COVID-19 case will need to get a PCR COVID test as soon as they find out they're a close contact.
If the test is negative then the student can go back to school.
However, for seven days after that, the student will need to provide negative results from Rapid Antigen tests taken at home.
Restrictions on music have also been lifted with instruments relying on breath and singing allowed to go ahead outdoors.
When do the changes start?
The changes will come into place from Monday, November 29.
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What you can and can't do
If your child is told they're a close contact, then they need to go and get a PCR test.
If it comes back as negative then they're free to return to school on the basis they take a Rapid Antigen test for the next seven days.
All of the Rapid Antigen tests need to be negative too.
If your child returns a positive PCR test, that means they have COVID-19.
If that's the case, they will have to stay home from school and self-isolate.
Your family will need to follow procedures for positive COVID-19 cases, which are explained by NSW Health.
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What to do if you're a close contact
If you're a close contact at school, you just need to get a negative PCR test now and then you can return to the classroom.
Do I need to isolate if I am a close contact?
While waiting for your PCR test you will need to isolate, but if that comes back negative then you can return to school.
It's important to note these are the new rules for schools, and close contact rules in other settings are different.
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Do I still have to wear a face mask at school?
Mask settings will remain the same.
All staff and high school students need to wear masks.
Masks are also recommended for primary school students.
Will schools have to close for deep cleaning?
Schools will no longer need to close for deep cleaning as long as cleaning procedures in place at the school are sufficient.
Schools won't need to close during contact tracing anymore either.
The only reason a school would need to close is if there are multiple COVID-19 cases and it becomes a cluster.
