Children make up one third of active COVID-19 infections in Warrnambool

Of the 386 active cases listed in the city on Wednesday, around 140 were in people aged under 16.

The infections in schools are impacting staff and families, who bring the virus home and pass it onto parents, siblings or grandparents.

Just over one in three students in the youngest cohort have received a second vaccine dose.

Even just one teacher off sick with COVID-19 or as a close contact can be extremely disruptive, as Brauer College principal Jane Boyle has discovered navigating the first term in nine terms of back-to-school learning.

She said schools had to adapt quickly and learn to be flexible.

"We try and replace teachers with casual relief teachers, some of our senior classes we have combined classes which is not ideal but we've had to do that," Ms Boyle said.

"Staff have been very generous in taking above their allotments when we put out the call for help and can't cover staff.

"There are not many casual relief teachers, and all the Warrnambool schools naturally are using the same people, so it has had an impact."

Latest federal vaccination data shows slow vaccine uptake in the youngest eligible cohort in Warrnambool.

The number of children aged five to 11 with two vaccine doses is at 34.8 per cent, lagging behind Ballarat and Bendigo, but ahead of Geelong.

At the start of March, 63.2 per cent of the five to 11s received their first dose in Warrnambool. By the end of the month, that figure grew incrementally to 64 per cent.

More than 95 per cent of children aged 12 to 15 in Warrnambool have received a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

COVID-19 booster doses are now also available for anyone over the age of 16 who has received their second dose of any COVID-19 vaccine more than three months ago.

However, just 75.6 per cent of Warrnambool's eligible population aged 16 and over have received a booster.

In promising news, Victoria could drop its COVID-19 vaccine mandates after the latest wave of infections, expected to peak within weeks.

The state's hospitals are bracing for 500 or more patients a day with the virus at the height of the Omicron BA.2 sub-variant outbreak, according to Health Minister Martin Foley.

But with cases still rising through April, Victoria will not yet be following Queensland's lead and dropping the vaccine mandate, Mr Foley and Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters on Wednesday.

Workers at school, childcare and early education services, including care services outside school hours, must have had their third dose by March 25 2022 to be eligible to work in an education setting, unless an exemption applies.

A DHHS spokesperson said the vaccine mandate would remain in place for teachers, despite reported staffing hits at schools across the region.

"The data is clear that getting a third dose significantly reduces your chances of getting COVID-19, passing it on to others or going to hospital," the spokesperson said.

"All teachers, school staff and workers in childcare and early education services in Victoria must be triple-vaccinated to protect school communities and vulnerable children from COVID-19.

"Our school workforce knows just how important COVID-19 vaccines are for keeping them safe and almost all teachers and principals have had their third dose."

Families will continue to COVID test their children in Term 2, in a bid to keep education settings "as safe as possible" into the winter months.

The state government announced this week it would continue to provide free rapid antigen test kits to families through schools and early childhood settings for the start of Term 2, with more test deliveries to be rolled out this week.

READ MORE: Rapid antigen testing continues into term two, to keep schools safe in winter

The south-west region has almost 1000 COVID-19 infections. Warrnambool recorded 79 new cases overnight, bringing active cases to 386. There are 136 cases in Moyne (+28), 262 in Glenelg (+58) and 141 in Corangamite (+32).

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