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The NSW Government is trialling Rapid Antigen Home Testing (RAHT) kits to reduce disruption at schools and halve the time close contacts need to isolate.
Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell said a pilot program of the test kits would begin in Albury next week.
“I want to see disruption to our students’ education from COVID reduce, while still keeping schools safe places to learn. This requires us to deploy every tool available to balance the risk,” Ms Mitchell said.
“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.”
The surveillance method will see the kits distributed by schools for use at home by staff and students who are asked to do a test twice a week as part of community surveillance.
“People with a positive result would need to follow up with a regular (PCR) test at a NSW Health testing centre and those who test negative will go on with their normal day-to-day routines assured that they are not infected or at risk of spreading the virus,” Ms Mitchell said.
Unvaccinated students who are close contacts of a positive case will also be able to reduce their isolation time by using the kits on a daily basis.
“NSW Health has advised us that close contacts of COVID positive cases will have their isolation period halved to seven days provided they receive a consistent negative result,” Ms Mitchell said.
“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.
“Our best line of defence against this pandemic remains vaccinations, and until all students are eligible for one we must continue using measures like RAHT kits to keep schools safe.”
Member for Albury Justin Clancy said this was an incredibly challenging period for the community of Albury and any opportunity to minimise disruption for students was welcome.
“While this is a tough time for our community, I’m hopeful this new testing regime will reduce disruption for students and families in the area,” Mr Clancy said.
A positive rapid antigen test doesn’t mean an individual necessarily has COVID-19, it means they need to get a standard (PCR) test straight away to confirm the result.
It is important to note that use of the RAHT kits will be optional, but close contacts who opted not to undertake the daily tests would need to self-isolate for the full 14 days.

World Teachers’ Day is being celebrated across NSW today with Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell encouraging the community to let our 160, 000 teachers know how important they are.
“Great teachers are at the heart of our schools and have a significant impact on young peoples’ lives every day,” Ms Mitchell said.
“They have shown this throughout the pandemic with their tireless commitment to their students.
“More than anything, I am delighted that students are now back in the classroom, where they learn best, and able to celebrate World Teachers’ Day in person with their favourite teachers.
“Today I encourage everyone to take the time to recognise a teacher who has made a positive difference to their own life or the life of their child.”
This year the community can join celebrities including WSFM’s Jonesy and Amanda, Dave Hughes and Claudia Karvan who have come together to say thank you to their own teachers.
“Pretty much every day I think about my high school teachers and how much you set me up for life and I am sure you are doing the same now under stressful conditions. Thank you for your hard work,” Ms Karvan said.
The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) has created an e-toolkit to help recognise the impact of an inspiring teacher today.
E-cards, social media badges and tiles, digital badges to add to photo and video messages, a colouring-in page and backgrounds for online meetings are available to download from the NESA website.

The community of the Hunter region will benefit from a significant investment of more than $24 million in infrastructure following a number of key announcements by the NSW Government today.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott joined the Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin MLC to open the new $17 million purpose-built Cessnock Police Station at an official ceremony today.
The new police station, the result of a 2018 commitment by the Government, includes state-of-the-art connectivity to the neighbouring court complex for prisoner transfer, crime prevention and investigative spaces, traffic and highway command resources and new custody facilities such as a van and charge docks.
The official opening of the Cessnock Police Station coincides with a number of key police infrastructure announcements this week, including:

• a $6.5 million investment to Newcastle Police Station to include a refurbished ground floor and air conditioning upgrades; and
• a further $700,000 upgrade of Maitland Police Station, including increased security coverage and new custody space.

Minister Elliott, who travelled to Maitland, Newcastle and Cessnock for the announcements, said the substantial investment into regional infrastructure provides the NSW Police Force with the resources needed to keep the community of the Hunter safe.
“This Government continues to deliver on its election commitment to invest in a police station infrastructure program to support the vital work of our police women and men across this state,” he said.
“The facility also provides the extra space and resources needed to support the growing number of police allocated to the region. Importantly, the construction of the new Cessnock Police Station added more than 380 jobs to the local economy,” Mr Elliott said.
Deputy Commissioner Corporate Services, Karen Webb, said the multipurpose station is designed to support smaller regional stations to deliver enhanced front-line policing services.
“I hope this town can be proud to call this new policing facility its own – it will protect all, both the community and the officers that serve it,” Deputy Commissioner Webb said.
“This is a major investment into the crime-fighting capabilities in the Hunter Valley. It gives the police in this command the support they need to drive down crime and keep the community safe,” she said.

The new Sydney Football Stadium (SFS) has passed a major milestone, with the installation of the first seats bringing the stadium to life.
Minister for Sport Natalie Ward said the new stadium has been designed for fans to have the best game day experience possible.
“The highly-anticipated new SFS is really starting to come to life before our eyes and it’s so exciting to start to see what fans will experience when they fill the stands,” Mrs Ward said.
“Sports lovers are in for a real treat, with all 42,500 seats designed to be as close as possible to the field of play with amazing views.
“Around 900 seats have just been installed, completing three bays in the middle tier of the southern stand, with all seats expected to be in by the middle of next year.”
The seat design has been created by award-winning Indigenous artist Tony Albert, with the theme “Two Worlds Colliding – Water and Land” telling a story about place and country, while providing a nod to the contest of two competing teams.
“This state-of the-art stadium will be a world-class drawcard for visitors far and wide, providing a boost to the economy and building on Sydney’s strong entertainment and sporting culture,” Mrs Ward said.
The new SFS will include an open concourse with views of the field from a range of food and beverage outlets, and more amenities to minimise wait times.
“The recently-announced adjacent village precinct will also deliver new open spaces, plus a children’s play area and new cafe and restaurant,” Mrs Ward said.
”Around 1,100 workers are on site every day, with another 600 jobs to be created when the stadium is open.
“To further boost the local economy, about $300 million worth of contracts have been awarded to NSW-based suppliers and contractors, including steel manufacturing for the roof elements and a turf farm in western Sydney for the pitch.”

Native plants and animals in Western Sydney are set to thrive with more than $1 million invested as an early action of the Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan.
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney, and Minister for Trade and Industry Stuart Ayres said the funding would be provided to Deerubbin, Tharawal and Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Councils (LALCs) to support cultural conservation efforts.
“There is more than 60,000 years of continuous Aboriginal connection to the land of Western Sydney, so it’s vital we draw on this deep knowledge to protect the area’s unique native plants and animals,” Mr Ayres said.
“Our conservation plan and partnership with the Local Aboriginal Land Councils will ensure the ancient woodlands of the Cumberland Plain thrive for many generations to come.”
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the city’s west is home to a large and diverse Aboriginal community rich in history and culture and this grant would enable cultural conservation to build a legacy for the future.
“This funding will support these communities to care for Country in a way that recognises their strong connection, knowledge and custodianship to the land,” Mr Stokes said.
“There is an abundance of native animals and plants in Western Sydney, which is why the conservation plan and our partnership with the Local Aboriginal Land Councils are so important.”
The $1 million grant program – funded by the NSW Government – is being delivered in partnership with the NSW Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC) as an early action of the Cumberland Plain Conversation Plan.
NSWALC Councillor for the Sydney/Newcastle Region Abie Wright said the grant funding would support the LALCs to deliver early cultural and conservation outcomes on their lands.
“LALC lands in Western Sydney often have land-use legacies that require expensive assessment and investment to prepare for future sustainable conservation management,” Cr Wright said.
“I’m heartened by the Government’s investment to support the LALCs with their conservation endeavours and amplify capacity and leadership in local cultural management projects.”
The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment is currently developing a 10-year strategy in partnership with Western Sydney’s Aboriginal community under the Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan.
For more information visit: www.planning.nsw.gov.au/CPCPgrant