Management of Positive COVID cases

This is process to follow when a positive COVID case is identified, if your child does test positive, we ask you to:

• notify the school and 
• lodge the positive result on the Student COVID-19 Test Portal. 
• You must also report your child’s positive test to the Department of Health via the COVID-19 Positive Rapid Antigen Test Self-Reporting Form or call centre on 1800 675 398. 

The school will notify the affected grade/s or year level/s via Compass and outline the steps for you to follow, which include:

• If your child is not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, they can continue to attend school, but you should monitor for symptoms. 
• Students who show symptoms of COVID-19 cannot attend school and should get tested immediately and isolate until they receive a negative result. 
• Students should continue with twice-a-week rapid antigen testing on school days.
• Students who have previously tested positive and completed their 7-day isolation period are not required to participate in the RAT screening for 12 weeks after their release from isolation. In addition, if a student has recovered from COVID-19, they are not required to get tested or isolate/quarantine if re-exposed to a case within 12 weeks of ending their isolation period.

A student who tests positive must isolate and not attend school for 7 days from the day of the positive result. If the student is still symptomatic at the end of the 7 days, they are not to return to school until the symptoms have resolved.

Where a student is a household contact of a positive case (that is, they have spent more than four hours with someone who has COVID-19 inside a house, accommodation, or care facility) the parent/carer must inform the school. Household and household-like contacts are no longer required to quarantine as long as they undertake the following additional safety measures in the 7 days that would have been their quarantine period

• Household contacts are required to inform the school that they are attending during the 7 day period.
• undertake daily rapid antigen testing five times within the 7 days;
• wear a face covering when indoors (if aged 8 years and above or unless they have a valid exemption);
• are not permitted to visit hospitals or care facilities unless an exemption applies.

They are recommended to avoid interaction with people at higher risk of severe disease from COVID-19.

If symptomatic, all students must stay/return home, take a rapid antigen test, or get a PCR test if a rapid antigen testing kit unavailable. On receipt of a negative test result, the student/staff member can return to school.