COVID Cases in the School Community

We still have a number of students who are testing positive to COVID each week. Accordingly, we request that families ensure all students are testing when symptomatic and when they are close contacts with confirmed cases. Rapid test kits were distributed on Tuesday (19th of July). If your child tests positive, please keep them at home for the required isolation period of 7 days. If your child tests positive one day and then negative the next, please take your child to get a PCR test to confirm the result. They are not to return to school for 7 days unless they receive a negative test from a PCR test. Please see below for further information regarding the latest advice from the Department of Education and Training.

Vital COVID Safe Steps

Rapid antigen testing

The Victorian Government is providing up to three further deliveries of rapid antigen tests in Term 3 and again in Term 4 to schools.

It is recommended that rapid antigen tests are used by students when symptomatic. Household contacts are required to test negative using a rapid antigen test on at least 5 out of 7 if they are attending or working at a school onsite.

If students receive a positive test result at any time, they must report this through the Department of Health system (Rapid antigen tests | Coronavirus Victoria) or via the coronavirus hotline at 1800 675 398.

Students (or their parents) must report a positive result to their school, either through the COVID Test portal or by phone or written notification; this is so the school can record that they will be absent while in 7-day isolation, provide support and learning materials as needed, and let the rest of the school community know there has been a positive case onsite and that they should monitor for symptoms.

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 4 weeks of ending their isolation period.

All students who return a positive result from a rapid antigen test should also follow the latest advice at https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/rapid-antigen-tests.

Face masks

It is strongly recommended by the Department of Health that face masks are worn in indoor settings, with face masks mandatory for those aged 8 and over who are household contacts and attending school. This is because the wearing of masks is effective in reducing the transmission of COVID-19.

It is the Department’s expectation that, through to the end of winter, students aged 8 and over and all staff will wear masks when in class, noting that exceptions to the recommendation apply to teaching circumstances when clear communication or when a particular activity requires the removal of a mask.

Masks are not required to be worn outdoors but can be worn when physical distancing is not possible. This expectation should not constrain student participation in the full range of school activities, including music, sport and performances.

Schools are not required or expected to sanction students or staff who do not meet this expectation but are asked to communicate this expectation to the whole school community and seek their support for this collective effort.

Household contacts attending school who are over 8 years of age are required to wear face masks indoors unless they have a valid exception.

Schools have been supplied with a stock of N95 masks suitable for adults and older children; surgical masks for staff and students in secondary schools; and child-size surgical masks for students in primary schools to ensure that all staff and students have access to a range of appropriate mask options.

Schools should ensure staff and students have ready access to these masks.

Current advice from the Victorian government on the wearing of face masks is available here: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/face-masks

Everyone including students aged 8 years and above must wear a face mask when travelling on public transport, taxis or ride share vehicles.

Scenario

Required actions for the staff member or student/family

A student or staff member tests positive to COVID-19, either through RA test or PCR test

Isolate at home or in private accommodation for 7 days (inclusive of weekends) and do not attend school during this period.

Inform the school, that they have tested positive to COVID-19.

A negative test is not required to return to school following completion of 7 days of isolation.

Follow the Checklist for COVID cases

If a student or staff member tests positive through RA test, but they don’t have symptoms or have not been in contact with anyone who has COVID-19 it is recommended getting a PCR test within 48 hours and stay isolated at all times until they receive their result.

If the subsequent PCR test is negative, the student or staff member can return to school.

A student or staff member is a household contact or household-like contact*.

You have spent more than four hours with someone who has COVID-19 inside a house, accommodation, or care facility.

Contact at school is not included in this definition, unless contact has occurred in a school-based residential setting, e.g. school camp or boarding school.

Notify the school that they are a household or household-like contact.

Follow the Checklist for COVID contacts

Household contacts are no longer required to quarantine as long as they take additional safety measures, but are required to:

notify the school if returning during their 7 day period;
undertake daily rapid antigen testing 5 times within the 7 days;
wear a face covering when indoors (if aged 8 years and above or unless they have a valid exception);
are not permitted to visit hospitals or care facilities unless an exception applies.

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

If symptomatic, all students/staff must stay/return home, take a rapid antigen test, or get a PCR test if a rapid antigen testing kit unavailable.

Parents/carers who are positive cases are able to leave isolation if other arrangements cannot be made to transport someone they live with to and/or from school.

The person leaving self-isolation must travel directly to and from the location, making no stops, unless there is an emergency or as required by law.

They must remain in the vehicle at all times, unless it is reasonably necessary to leave the vehicle to deliver the person to and from school. They must wear a face covering at all times while transporting and delivering the child.

A student or staff member has been in contact with a case of COVID-19, including at school or at work.

If asymptomatic, students and staff should continue to attend school and monitor for symptoms.

If symptomatic, all students/staff 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.

If staff/students are too unwell to attend school, usual leave/absence policies apply.

Follow the Checklist for COVID contacts

Staff/student has contracted COVID-19, completed their 7-day isolation period and is asymptomatic.

Staff/ students can safely return to school. They do not need to be tested if they have been re-exposed within 4 weeks of ending their self-isolation.

Staff/student has completed their quarantine period as a household contact and has returned a negative test result.

However, during the quarantine period an additional member of the household has returned a positive result.

The quarantine duration for student/staff household contacts who are required to quarantine i.e. those who are not able to comply with the additional safety measures, is 7 days from the date of the first positive test of the household index case.

Household contacts are not subject to rolling quarantine periods. If the index case remains in the household, or if subsequent cases are identified within the household, the quarantine end date for the close contact is unchanged.

Staff/ students can safely return to school and do not require negative test documentation.

Please note, if the staff or student becomes symptomatic, they should get tested and not attend school.

Staff/student with a positive RAT (probable case) who receives a negative PCR test within 48 hours after the positive RAT

Staff/student can end their period of self-isolation and can safely return to school.

Recommend that they notify school of negative PCR test result.

If staff/students are too unwell to attend school, usual leave/absence policies apply.

Rochester Secondary College Newsletter

Join the journey as every child GROWS at Rochester Secondary College

Issue 10 · 05 Aug 2022

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