Young children (aged 0 to 12) do not seem to become infected with COVID-19 as much as other age groups. Young people aged above 13 years seem to have a similar risk of infection with COVID-19 as adults but are more likely to have better health outcomes after infection.
It is recommended that Department for Education advice about school attendance is a good basis for rehearsal attendance for children and young people. Advice stipulates that children can go to school unless they:
- Are feeling unwell
- Have a chronic medical condition or compromised immune system and are not able to attend school on advice from their medical practitioner
- Live in a household with others that are deemed vulnerable to COVID-19 and are not able to attend school on advice of their medical practitioner
- Have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or have been required to self-isolate by SA Health.
If a child has any medical conditions and they are unwell, it is best to have them checked by your GP as soon as possible.
Information specific to children with a disability
Information for parents, carers and children about COVID-19
Children may have anxieties relating to COVID-19. Talking with children about COVID-19 can help them understand and cope with the current situation. When talking about this to a child, make sure it’s in a way that suits their age and development. Also listen to what’s worrying them.
Talking to children about COVID
It is recommended that safety considerations for children in choirs include:
- Adapting the same rehearsal considerations as for adult choirs
- Adapting the adult risk mitigation to the developmental needs of children and young people
- Extra education and encouragement about good hand hygiene
- Implementing the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee’s latest advice that maintaining 1.5m between students and the ‘venue density’ rule of no more than 1 person per 2 square metres is not appropriate or practical in classrooms.