Dr Nick Coatsworth takes a scathing swipe at Dan Andrews for forcing children to wear masks at school – despite top doctors saying the rule’s unnecessary
- Dr Nick Coatsworth took swipe at Daniel Andrews over face mask rule in schools
- He retweeted a scathing post made by the Crikey columnist Adam Schwab
- Schwab condemned face mask mandate for students in Year 3 and above
Former deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth has taken aim at Daniel Andrews for making it compulsory for school students to wear face masks.
Dr Coatsworth took to Twitter on Saturday to retweet a scathing post made by Crikey columnist Adam Schwab.
Schwab condemned the requirement that school students above Year 3 must continue to wear the extra layer of protection in classrooms across Victoria.
The mandate comes despite the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the peak national health agency in the US, relaxing its face mask recommendation.
Former deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth has taken aim at Daniel Andrews for making it compulsory for school students to wear face masks
Dr Coatsworth took to Twitter on Saturday to retweet a scathing post made by Crikey columnist Adam Schwab
The CDC announced face masks were no longer necessary in most classrooms.
‘BREAKING – CDC just released guidelines stating masks no longer necessary in schools (joining most of the world),’ Scwab wrote.
‘Meanwhile, in Victoria, with only 38 people (0.0006%) in ICU with Covid, Dan Andrews and Brett Sutton still demanding small children where masks for 7 hours a day.’
The CDC announced on Friday it does not recommend students to wear face masks if their school is located in suburbs with ‘low’ or ‘medium’ Covid-19 cases.
Victoria recorded 5,874 cases on Saturday – one of its lowest figures since February 21.
Hospitalisations have dropped to 281 – down from 301 – while ICU rates have slightly risen to 43 – up from 38.
The US continues to record tens of thousands of new cases a day with its seven day case average at 75,208.
Dr Coatsworth retweeted the post made by Schwab to his 21,400 followers on Twitter in an apparent swipe against the premier.
The online dig is the latest attack made by the top doctor after he accused Mr Andrews of scaremongering and using the mask mandate to boost vaccine rates in children.
Schwab condemned the requirement that school students above Year 3 must continue to wear the extra layer of protection in classrooms across Victori
Students in high school and years 3 to 6 are required to wear a mask indoors at school, while children in Prep to Year 2 are exempt from the mandate (pictured, students in Melbourne)
‘I haven’t been a big fan of masks in primary school age children and that’s because the disease is mild in that age group and we know the disease spreads far more readily in adults,’ Dr Coatsworth told the Today Show on Wednesday.
‘In my view, it doesn’t make a lot of sense. It does trouble me that this is a sort mandate in a way to create the impetus for people to go and get their kids vaccinated when, really, it should be a choice.’
About 54 per cent of children aged five to 11 are vaccinated against Covid in Victoria, compared with 93.9 per cent aged 12 and over.
Other experts argue requiring some students to wear masks while their older siblings are exempt from the rule is impractical and unfounded.
Mr Andrews pointed to lower vaccination rates as a driver behind the decision and the risk of the virus spreading from children to the elderly or immunocompromised.
The online dig is the latest attack made by the top doctor after he accused Mr Andrews of using the mask mandate to boost vaccine rates in children
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