There are 12,818 new cases of COVID-19 and 30 deaths in NSW as thousands of students across the state head back to school.

Five people who died had received three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, 19 people had received two doses and six people were not vaccinated.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet says there will be bumps along the way and “it wont’ be all smooth sailing” but it’s important for children to get back to the classroom.

“I know that may parents are anxious … but this is incredibly important as we move through 2022,” he said.

“There’s nothing more important than having our kids back in the classroom.”

He was speaking on Tuesday after greeting pupils at Sydney’s Ultimo Public School before announcing suspended non-urgent elective surgery would resume on Monday.

“We thought that … we could bring that back in mid-February but we’ve been able to bring that forward and that’s incredibly important,” he said.

“I think (that) is a testament to the strength of our health system.”

Catholic school children returned to school on Monday but most state pupils started on Tuesday, testing the government’s new COVID-19 protocols for face-to-face teaching amid the Omicron outbreak.

About eight million rapid antigen tests have been distributed to schools to prepare for the school year.

Teachers and students are required to test for COVID-19 twice weekly, year groups will be segregated, ventilation has been improved, children have been getting vaccinated and high school students and teachers must wear masks.

More than 78 per cent of students aged 12-15 have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine while nearly 40 per cent of children aged 5-11 have had one dose.

Of the eligible population, 44.7 per cent of people in NSW have had a booster shot.

Unions say school cleaners have been excluded from the government’s COVID-safe plan.

The United Workers Union, The Parenthood and the NSW Teachers Federation are calling on the premier to include them in the testing regime.

Judith Barber, who cleans schools on the north coast, says cleaners stepped up at the beginning of COVID for additional cleaning to keep schools safe.

“As essential workers we were required to be vaccinated to keep working in schools, but now we’re not seen to be important enough to be included in the rollout of RATs in schools,” she said.

AAP

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