Year 12 students in Georges River Council areas will not return to school on August 16 as planned, and all HSC students in Greater Sydney will need to sit their trial exams from home.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the changes at today's COVID-19 press conference, where it was revealed there had been 291 new cases recorded in NSW - a figure the Premier said would likely grow in coming days.
Ms Berejeklian said the state education and health departments had provided a roadmap forward for HSC students".
She said students who lived in the eight local government areas of most concern, including Georges River, "will not be able to have any face-to-face time for the foreseeable future".
Areas outside those local government areas will be subject to a "flexible model" for HSC, which will allow students who need to go into the classroom "for whatever reason, to pick up material or do some face-to-face exams" will be able to do so.
"It won't be normal classes but certainly it will be a level of presence to ensure that no students will be disadvantaged," she said.
Ms Berejeklian said trial HSC exams would be done at home.
She encouraged HSC students from the eight LGA's to come forward to receive a vaccine at the mass vaccination centre which will open on Monday at the Qudos Bank Arena at Sydney Olympic Park.
She said students would received an email about how to book on Monday, while a call centre would be set up for parents.
She denied HSC students would be disadvantaged.
"No student sitting the HSC, no matter where they live in NSW, will be disadvantaged," she said.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said HSC students from the eight LGAs had been given a "golden opportunity" to get vaccinated from next week and he urged them to take up the offer so they could "go safely to their HSC exams" in October.
Parents will not be allowed inside the area, he said, but they will be well care for once inside by staff, including police and ADF.
Details: 1800 922 886.
