Victoria extends school holidays for metro students for a week to shut down COVID-19 spike

School holidays for students in metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire will be extended for another week for the majority of students as the state works to urgently stop the spike in new cases of COVID-19.

Announcing the measures this afternoon, Premier Daniel Andrews said for most students - next week will consist of five pupil-free days with only teachers present.

For students in years 11 and 12, as well as year 10 students completing VCE subjects, school will operate as normal next week.

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In addition, specialist schools in the affected areas will reopen as normal and teachers will return to work regardless of whether their students are present.

Additionally, children of parents who work in essential roles will be able to attend school next week under supervised school holiday programs.

"Older students they are able to be much more careful in getting to and from school and keeping physical distance," Premier Andrews said.

"They can continue to get to school on their own and won't need parents taking them and picking them up.

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"That's seen as a much lower risk and every day at school is important for those Year 11 and Year 12 students we want to make sure their VCE is not any more disrupted than it already has been."

Mr Andrews said an extra week of school holidays will give the government more time to plan an attack in shutting down the explosion of new cases.

"For those who are the children of essential workers or people who simply can't work from home, there will be supervised school holiday programs for them," Mr Andrews said.

"There is a week's extension of the school holidays to give us some more time to plan, some more time to get more data and to see exactly the most contemporary picture of the challenge that we face."

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VICTORIA'S SCHOOL RESTRICTIONS AT A GLANCE

- Restrictions apply to schools within metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire

- Most students to receive five pupil-free days next week from July 13

- Students in Years 11 and 12 to attend school as normal

- Year 10 students completing VCE subjects will also attend school as normal

- Specialist needs schools will reopen as normal

- Children of essential workers have the option of attending a supervised school holiday program

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