CLARIFIED: Facemasks may not be used when with children

Effectively, educators and teachers may not wear facemasks while they are with children because:

• the NSW Public Health Order allows the removal of facemasks where "... clear enunciation or visibility of the person’s mouth is essential" (see Clause 5(7)(c)(ii) of the current NSW Public Health Order as well as Clause 17(3)(d)(ii) of the new NSW Public Health Order); and
  
  
• the same NSW Public Health Order states "... the removal of the fitted face covering is necessary for the proper provision of the goods or service" (see Clause 5(7)(f)) of the current NSW Public Health Order as well as Clause 17(3)(g) of the new NSW Public Health Order).

Others have pointed out that facemasks can be very confronting for children and that such a requirement for facemasks on educators and teachers have not occurred in any other Australian state or territory thus far.

The Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) NSW thanks the NSW Department of Education for clarifying the confusion  about the wearing of facemasks (see their update issued on 19 July 2021), which included exemptions [that already existed] for wearing facemasks in early childhood education and care (ECEC) as follows:

• if your ECEC service is outside of the Greater Sydney region;
• where a child is deaf or hard of hearing; or
• where the clear enunciation or visibility of the educator’s mouth is essential.

That said, if your ECEC service(s) operate within the Greater Sydney (including (including the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour) region, you are still required to wear facemasks for the following activities:

• when you are not with children;
• when you are conducting administrative, support and other operational duties that do not involve children; and
• when you are interacting with parents/guardians/visitors.

Please note that other requirements may still apply, for example for out-of-school-hours-care services on school grounds.

Should any further information/clarification is needed, please contact the ACA NSW team on 1300 556 330 or nsw@childcarealliance.org.au. And for all COVID related information for the early childhood education and care sector, please visit ACA NSW's COVIDwatch.

PUBLISHED: 20 JULY 2021
UPDATED: 10 AUGUST 2021