COVID-19 Updates

The latest information for parents of school children is available by clicking here.

Please note the following Department of Education advice relating to identifying and responding to students who appear unwell at school:

Students and staff must not attend school or work if they are unwell, even with the mildest of symptoms including fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, loss of taste, and loss of smell. Students need to be symptom free and a negative COVID-19 test result must be received and sighted by the school prior to their return to school.

Students who do not undertake a COVID-19 test are not permitted to return to school for a 10 day period and they must be symptom free for at least 3 days prior to their return.

Students who have seasonal allergic rhinitis or another condition that presents similarly to flu-like symptoms are still required to get tested for COVID-19 and return a negative test result. Where their symptoms continue beyond 10 days, students should provide documentation from their GP confirming their symptoms are typical for their condition.

Isolated incidents of sneezing or coughing may not indicate that a student is suffering from an illness. Staff will talk with students about how they are feeling to determine if a cough/sneeze is an isolated incident or whether the student is unwell. Where a student is unwell, arrangements will be made to send them home.

COVID-19 testing for very young students or students with complex health or disability may be challenging. In these situations, schools are to ask the parent/carer to have their child assessed by their medical practitioner. Where a medical practitioner determines that a COVID-19 test is not indicated, a medical certificate must be provided to the school to confirm that the student does not have symptoms that warrant a COVID-19 test. The certificate must also indicate that the student is able to return to the school environment.