Staff or students with COVID-19 symptoms The Department has comprehensive procedures in place with the Department of Health to manage suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 in schools. If a member of school staff or a child has symptoms matching those of COVID-19 they will be asked to go home and get tested, and to self isolate while awaiting the outcome of that test. For students with COVID-19 symptoms, a parent or carer will be contacted and asked to collect the student as soon as possible. Symptoms include:
fever
chills or sweats
cough
sore throat
shortness of breath
runny nose
loss or change in sense of smell or taste
Sometimes a headache, muscle soreness, stuffy nose, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea may also be considered a symptom.
Isolation and supervision If they cannot travel home immediately, school staff, children or young people at school showing symptoms of COVID-19 will be isolated in a suitable area at the school, with supervision as appropriate.
Staff protection and hygiene If a student cannot remain alone in an isolation area while waiting to be collected, the staff member looking after them will wear personal protective equipment in accordance with Department of Education and Training guidance while supporting the student.
The school will take all appropriate actions to respond to the suspected case, including cleaning, record keeping and reminding the school community about good COVIDSafe practices such as hand hygiene and monitoring for symptoms.
If staff, a child or family member is diagnosed with COVID-19 Procedures are in place with the Department of Health (DH) to manage suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 in schools. Immediate action: The school will contact the Department of Education and Training if a child or staff member:
is a confirmed case
has been in close contact with a confirmed case
Close contact There are two types of close contacts: Primary close contacts:
someone who has had face-to-face contact or spent time in a closed space with someone who has COVID-19 while they were infectious.
someone who has been in an outbreak or other setting where there is a higher risk of transmission of COVID-19.
Secondary close contacts:
someone who has had face-to-face contact with a primary close contact at least 24 hours after them being exposed to COVID-19.
The Victorian Chief Health Officer or Deputy Chief Health Officer may also identify someone as a primary or secondary close contact based on what is known about a particular case or outbreak.
What the school will do If your child's school is directly impacted by a confirmed case of COVID-19, the Department of Education and Training will work directly with DH to confirm what the school needs to do. This may include the school closing for a short time while an investigation and contact tracing takes place.
DH may recommend a deep clean of the school. All surfaces, furniture and equipment will be disinfected with hospital-grade disinfectant as part of the deep clean. The school will be made operational as soon as possible.