Liverpool Girls High School brings back Covid mask rules amid criticism from Nick Coatsworth

A high school has brought back a Covid mask mandate more than six months after they were completely scrapped across the country, sparking backlash.

South West Sydney Liverpool Girls’ High School announced on Tuesday that students in grades 9, 10 and 11 will be required to work from home with immediate effect, while all staff and students still in school will be required to wear masks.

The school initially announced a five-day mask mandate for all students amid a small outbreak of Covid cases, before sending some students home as numbers rose.

The last remnants of widespread mask rules, which dictate they must be used on international flights and public transport, were removed in Australia last September.

Dr. Nick Coatsworth, who is known as the face of the government’s Covid vaccine rollout, told Daily Mail Australia that the reintroduction of mask rules at school was concerning.

‘That is a problem. No child in an Australian school should be forced to wear a mask,” said the former Australian deputy chief health officer.

Former Deputy Chief Health Officer Dr. Nick Coatsworth told Daily Mail Australia that ‘no child in an Australian school should be forced to wear a mask’

Liverpool Girls’ High School introduced the measures after a large number of pupils recently tested positive for Covid.

They initially recommended that starting Monday this week, all students, staff and visitors to the school should wear masks for the next five days.

But on Tuesday afternoon, when more students tested positive, they asked grades 9, 10 and 11 to study at home from Wednesday through Friday.

Groups 7, 8 and 12 still go to school in person and are obliged to wear masks.

A parent who wished to remain anonymous told Daily Mail Australia she does not want to see a return to the draconian restrictions imposed during the Covid pandemic.

“There was no consultation with parents at all,” she said.

“No one else in the community is being forced to wear masks again, so it doesn’t seem fair that our kids are.”

She added that she was told that students refusing to wear masks would be sent to the deputy principal’s office and their parents would be called.

“It’s quite frustrating as my daughter is in year 10 and doesn’t like homeschooling,” she said.

‘We just hope that it doesn’t get worse during the winter period and that all children are back home learning.

“I think we have to learn to live with it and treat it like we would a cold or the flu. I’m not angry, I just find it frustrating because it makes it difficult for the children.’

Professor Peter Collignon previously told Daily Mail Australia that masks made little difference to community Covid epidemics (stock image)

Dr. Coatsworth has previously been an outspoken opponent of mask rules in schools, saying there was “too much emphasis on the benefits of masking children.”

“You’re not really protecting the kids themselves because it’s a very, very mild disease in kids with or without the vaccine,” he said.

While there is a risk of a child passing the virus on to a frail family member, he said with proper precautions such as hand washing, rapid antigen testing and vaccines, the added benefit of masks in children was low.

“I have trouble communicating with my patients (while wearing a mask). It’s hard for them to hear me, it’s hard for them to know who I am, and if that’s hard for me, I can only conclude that it would be harmful to children.’

Infectious disease expert Peter Collignon told Daily Mail Australia: ‘Masks don’t really make a difference to epidemic curves in the community, although they do provide some personal protection’.

“Probably not as big a reduction (in exposure to infection) as people think — it’s not an 80 percent reduction, probably closer to 10 percent.”

Meanwhile, another NSW school, Orange High School in the state’s central west, also announced home learning will take place this week for Years 7 through Years 10 students amid a minor outbreak of Covid cases .

The announcement affects one class per day – although Year 11 and Year 12 students are exempt from the directive.

Principal Ali McLennan wrote to parents: ‘Due to the impact of COVID-19, some of our students and teaching staff are unable to attend school.

“The positive cases of COVID-19 have mainly affected our employees.”

“Students who can’t learn at home will be supervised when they go to school,” Ms McLennan added.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Liverpool Girls’ High School, the NSW Education Department and Prime Minister Chris Minns’ office for comment.