No more third dose for Victoria’s educators as COVID-19 rules relax

Early childhood educators and other professionals working within the broader sector will no longer have to have a Government-mandated third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to continue working in education and care settings. 

A crucial point of understanding for those working in early childhood education and care (ECEC) is that under the rule changes, while a third dose is no longer Government mandated, vaccination policies will be the responsibility of individual workplaces, meaning that an employer may still require an employee to have three doses. 

The rule change was announced over the weekend as part of Victoria’s ongoing management of the coronavirus pandemic, with the state’s Minister for Health Martin Foley describing the changes as “modest and sensible,”  to allow Victorians to live safely with COVID-19 while reducing transmission and hospitalisations.

These changes to the pandemic orders come into effect from 11.59pm Friday 24 June, The core changes impacting the ECEC sector can be summarised as follows: 

• Positive cases must still isolate for seven days from the day they took their test but may now leave home to drive a household member directly to or from education or work without leaving their vehicle. They can also leave home to get medical care, a COVID-19 test, or in an emergency, including the risk of harm.

• Government imposed third dose mandates in education, food distribution, meat and seafood processing and quarantine accommodation sectors will be lifted. In line with other jurisdictions around Australia, vaccination policies will be the responsibility of individual workplaces.

• As almost 95 per cent of Victorians 12 and older have had two COVID-19 doses, rules requiring general workers to work from home, unless they are double-vaccinated are lifted. Employers will still be able to set their own workplace conditions.

The update to pandemic orders was made after consultation with the Acting Chief Health Officer and consideration of their advice. The Minister’s Statement of Reasons and the Acting CHO’s advice will be published on the Department of Health’s website within seven days of the orders coming into effect.

To access the latest information about COVID-19 compliance, please visit the Department of Health website.