It includes surveillance testing, ventilation, vaccinations and workforce planning which are aimed at keeping schools open while trying to keep students and staff safe.
Remote learning is set to be a last resort in localised circumstances where a student is a positive case or close contact.
The Department of Education and Training will provide online resources and work for levels Prep to Year 10 to complete in these circumstances.
“Face-to-face learning is the best option for our kids’ learning and wellbeing — that’s why we’ve done the work to get students safely back in the classroom,” Victorian Premier Daniel Andrew said.
The government will deliver more than 14 million rapid antigen tests to schools and early childhood centres, with 6.6 million to be delivered in the first week of term.
RAT surveillance testing is recommended for primary and secondary students and staff, as well as early childhood staff, twice a week before going to school.
The government recommended staff and students at specialist schools test five days each week due to higher risk of severe illness for medically vulnerable children.
Further measures to improve ventilation, including shade sails for outdoor classes and air purification devices, are also part of plans to prevent spread in high-risk areas such as classrooms and common areas.
Schools are also required to notify staff, parents and carers if there is a positive case and provide information on what steps they need to take.
Students in Years 3 and over are required to wear masks indoors, while staff must wear them at all times if not actively teaching or communicating with students.
Minister for Education James Merlino said these COVID-safe steps are designed to ensure safety for everyone.
“We’ve done everything we can to make schools as safe as possible — and we can’t wait to welcome all students back for term one,” he said.
It comes as school and early childhood staff are added to the mandatory third COVID-19 vaccine dose list.
Staff are required to have this dose by February 25 if they are eligible, or within three months and two weeks of a second dose to continue working in education settings.
They are also now classed as critical workers, meaning household contacts can voluntarily continue working if they have no symptoms and return negative RATs daily.
Over 99.7 per cent of school staff members were already double-vaccinated as at the end of term four.
A total of 29 per cent of children age 5-11 have had one COVID-19 vaccination.
Moira Shire recorded eight new cases as of January 25, adding to 265 active cases currently in the area.
There were 14,836 new COVID-19 cases from 30,726 tests as of January 25, bringing total active cases to 183,154.
A total of 1057 people were in hospital and 119 in intensive care, while sadly another 29 people died.
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