NSW school students given rapid antigen tests to check for COVID-19

Students will be given rapid antigen tests to take twice a week at home to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in classrooms,and those who are close contacts of a case can use them to reduce the length of their isolation under a plan to reduce disruption to schools.

The tests will be trialled in hard-hit Albury in southern NSW from next week,where almost every school has been forced to shut due to a COVID-19 case in the past two weeks. Some have been shut twice. Across NSW,more than 40 schools have shut since Sunday.

Close contact students who are vaccinated need to only isolate for a week,and less if they wore a mask,but those who are unvaccinated – which includes everyone under age 11 – must isolate at home with a parent for 14 days.

The CareStart COVID-19 Antigen rapid test is one of the products already approved for use in Australia.

The CareStart COVID-19 Antigen rapid test is one of the products already approved for use in Australia.Supplied

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell acknowledged the disruption to schooling,and said rapid antigen tests – which can be self-administered from November 1,and gives a result within 15 minutes – are key to keeping schools open and safe.

“We will be trialling the tests in two ways:a broad surveillance approach,along with close contact testing to reduce initial positive cases on school sites and reduce the amount of time close contact students need to spend away from school,” she said.

Self-testing is now the main line of defence against COVID-19 in England,which has stopped sending entire cohorts home to isolate due to the extreme disruption. During one week in June,a quarter of a million students were isolating at home.

NSW schools will give students tests to use at home,to be used twice a week as part of community surveillance. Those with a positive result would then need a standard PCR test,and those who return negative results can go about their normal business.

Unvaccinated students would also be able to isolate for seven rather than 14 days if they return a negative rapid antigen test every day. While the Albury trial begins next week,the government has not confirmed when the statewide rollout will begin.

The pilot will iron out issues such as how to report results to schools,how families manage the tests and how many are willing to do it.

“This is about living with a virus and getting back to normal life while ensuring the community is confident in their safety on school sites,” Ms Mitchell said.

“Our best line of defence against this pandemic remains vaccinations and until all students are eligible for one we must continue using measures like[rapid antigen tests] to keep schools safe.”

Rapid antigen tests can produce false positives,so the result needs to be confirmed with a PCR at a NSW Health testing clinic. Students aged five to 11 may be eligible for vaccinations before the end of the year.

About 30,000 test kits are being sent to Albury. Parents will be given information on how to use them on Friday,and Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant is also on her way to the region.

The principal of The Scots School in Albury,Mark Garaets,said the atmosphere in the region was tense. In central Albury,all but a couple of schools have been required to close in the past few weeks. “Some are going down for a second time,” he said.

“There’s a great sense of nervousness. Our year 12 parents see their kids lining up for the exams of their lifetime,and being so unsure if they’ll be able to do all of them,or part of them. There’s a lot of tension out there.”

Mr Garaets said he was aware 30,000 rapid antigen tests were on their way. “I had a text with our[local member of Parliament] this morning on that,saying we were very much looking forward to seeing those coming,” he said.

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Jordan Baker is Chief Reporter of The Sydney Morning Herald. She was previously Education Editor.

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