Sacred Heart Kew

COVIDSafe Measures & Reminders

COVIDSafe Measures & Reminders (Term 4, 2022) as of 21.10.2022

Cleaning and Hygiene 

Our school buildings and classrooms continue to be regularly cleaned and sanitised each day. Our children and staff continue to practise regular COVIDSafe hygiene practices each day, with both soap and Hand sanitiser available for use in all areas of the school.

 

Air Purifiers

Air Purifiers have been placed in all classroom/learning spaces, including 'high traffic' areas across the school. These continue to operate throughout the school each day.    

 

Please see below for the CURRENT COVIDSafe measures that will continue to be in place (in line with the latest CECV School Operations Guide) - As per the latest information provided to parents on October 11 via the Skoolbag app.

 

The Victorian Government announced the end of the pandemic declaration and associated pandemic orders. New settings now apply as of 11.59 pm Wednesday 12 October 2022.

 

Requirements for COVID-19 isolation and close contacts are now strong recommendations. COVID-19 reporting requirements are now recommendations and schools no longer have to alert school communities of positive cases. The Department of Health recommends that a person who tests positive for COVID-19 should inform those with whom they have recently been in contact, including their workplace, school and household.

 

Change to close contacts and masks indoors

 

Requirements for close contacts, such as, continually testing negative on a rapid antigen test (RAT), now becomes a strong recommendation – joining the strong recommendation to wear a mask indoors, which remains in place. The Department of Health recommends that masks should be worn by a person who is a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 when leaving home. Additionally, the Department recommends that masks should be worn by a person who has COVID-19 for 10 days after a positive test when they need to leave home.

 

Changes to COVID-19 isolation requirements

 

It is strongly recommended that students:

  • who test positive for COVID-19 should stay home and isolate for five days
  • should not attend school after five days if still symptomatic
  • who are symptomatic but have not tested positive should not attend school

Where students become symptomatic at school, they should:

  • be collected by their parents/carers
  • undergo testing for COVID-19

It is strongly recommended that staff:

  • who test positive for COVID-19 should stay home and isolate for five days
  • should not attend school after five days if still symptomatic
  • who are symptomatic but have not tested positive should not attend school

Rapid Antigen Testing 

The Victorian Government will continue to provide rapid antigen tests (RATs) for use by students and staff for the remainder of 2022. We will continue to send these home each fortnight until we have exhausted our supply.  

 

It is now recommended that RATs are used by students and staff ONLY when symptomatic. 

 

Testing exemption period (4 weeks)

The period of time when someone is considered a recently confirmed case and therefore exempt from testing and isolation requirements is currently 4 weeks.

 

A reminder of the importance of children not attending school if they are feeling unwell, however mild their symptoms may be.  Any child who presents with symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), however mild, should get tested as soon as possible. 

 

If a child presents as unwell, parents will be contacted immediately to collect their child.  As you can appreciate we are unable to have unwell children remain at school under our current COVIDSafe plan. 

 

Thanks to all parents for your support and cooperation with the above items as we do our very best to keep all school community members healthy and safe.