Dear parents, carers and staff,
Our school has been advised a confirmed COVID-19 case attended our school on Friday 12th November.
Our school is not required to close, as cleaning and contact identification has already been completed. I want to assure you that we have carefully followed the required processes as agreed by Department of Education and Department of Health.
If we have not contacted you to say you or your child has been identified as a primary close contact, you or your child should return to school on Tuesday 16th November.
Information for students and staff identified as Primary Close Contacts (PCC’s)
If you are contacted and advised that you or your child is a potential PCC, it is advised that the potential PCC should get a COVID-19 PCR test and should limit their movements outside of the home.
This means that, until you hear further from me or the Department of Health or a Local Public Health Unit (DH/LPHU), the potential PCC should only leave home for brief periods for necessary activities, such as:
- caregiving to family members when no alternative is available
- necessary medical appointments where no alternative is available (such as telehealth).
DH/LPHU will then contact PCCs directly to interview them and advise if there are any changes to their PCC status. These calls or text messages can come from private or unknown numbers. Please answer these calls or follow text message advice if you receive a call or text message. If confirmed, DH/LPHU will send an SMS to the PCCs advising them of their quarantine, testing and release dates (this may take some days).
PCCs will no longer receive a clearance text message from DH to confirm their release from quarantine. For those who are undergoing 7 days of isolation, the return of a negative day 6 PCR test is sufficient for release. For those who are undergoing 14 days of isolation, the return of a negative day 13 PCR test is sufficient for release.
The rest of your family does not need to stay at home at this stage.
If you or anyone in your family develops even the mildest of symptoms, please get tested.
If you have questions about what this means for our school, please call the Department of Education and Training COVID-19 hotline on 1800 338 663, available 8:30am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday, and 10:00am to 3:00pm Saturday and Sunday.
If you are concerned you have COVID-19 you can call the DH COVID-19 hotline on 1800 675 398, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
For school information in languages other than English, call TIS National on 131 450. Please ask them to call the DET COVID-19 hotline on 1800 338 663 and they will help interpret. For health advice in languages other than English, visit https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/translated-information-about-coronavirus-covid-19.
Kind regards
David Caughey
College Principal
