Schools and childcare centres are being left in the dark when it comes to knowing exactly what to do when they are presented with a COVID-19 case. The Liberal Nationals are calling on the government to provide a dedicated COVID-19 hotline to provide resources for them during their time of need.
A positive diagnosis within a school or child care centre requires swift action and relies on clear and consistent advice being provided immediately, to stop the spread of this virus. They need someone to walk them through exactly what they should do and provide guidance for cleaning, closures, contact tracing and advice on reopening.
DHHS simply does not have the resources to do its job effectively. Contact tracing is not being done, phone calls are not being returned or they get passed from pillar to post without any real information.
There have been reports of childcare centres and schools waiting days for calls to be returned on contact tracing and permission to reopen.
We need Daniel Andrews to commit to providing a dedicated hotline and staff so that information is provided when it is required, whether that be in the evening or on weekends. Children and families shouldn’t have to miss out because of Daniel Andrews’ mistakes.
Comments attributable to Shadow Minister for Education, Cindy McLeish:
“Schools and childcare centres are spending too much time running in circles trying to get a response or advice from DHHS.
“These are urgent situations. Schools and childcare centres need to be able to get information when they need it. It just doesn’t work when phones are only manned between 9-5 weekdays.
“Andrews needs to be working to support schools and families, not against them.”
