The New South Wales (NSW) back-to-school plan will be centred on rapid antigen testing (RAT) to ensure that classrooms stay open under the state government’s COVID-Smart Plan. Every student and teacher in the state’s 3,150 government and non-government schools will be eligible to receive RATs before the school year begins on Feb. 1. Over 12 million RATs will be distributed to schools to support four weeks of testing. Primary and high school students, school staff and early childhood staff will be required to test twice a week for the first four weeks. All staff and high school students will be required to wear masks, while children in primary schools are encouraged to wear them. Interaction between year groups will be minimised and visitors to schools will also be limited, including parents. The government previously invested in improving air quality in classrooms and air purifiers will be dispatched to classrooms that …