The announcement comes as schools welcome back students across the state, following a summer dominated by Omicron cases.

The Department of Education has set March 15 as the deadline for staff to have their third COVID vaccine dose or they could be banned from on-site work.

The March cutoff will only apply if the employee had received their second dose after October 25, 2021.

Those who were doubled jabbed before this date will need to have had their booster administered by February 25.

Staff who refuse to be triple vaccinated will be placed on leave and could be terminated by April 28th, if they have not taken up the third dose.