The COVIS OHS Team wish all EMC families a safe Christmas. We appreciate all the support you have given regarding keeping students home when unwell and sending through results of COVID tests. We have been asked by the Department of Education and Training and the Department of Health to provide this statement below to all families/carers even though we have very students on site this week. COVID-19 testing requirements If your child is identified as an education contact of someone who is a confirmed case of COVID-19, you must ensure your child quarantines until they have completed a PCR test and returned a negative result. A PCR test is the test you have at the main testing sites or local doctors. The PCR test result is usually available within 24 hours and the result will be texted back to your phone. You must show evidence of the negative result to the school before your child can return to onsite learning. Schools are not permitted to allow your child to return until you have shown evidence of a negative test. If you are not able to show evidence of a negative test, your child cannot attend school for the following length of time depending on their circumstances: * 7 days if they are fully vaccinated * 7 days if they are under 12 years and 2 months old and all members of their household are fully vaccinated * 14 days if they are over 12 years and 2 months old and not fully vaccinated * 14 days if they are under 12 years and 2 months old and all members of their household are not fully vaccinated. Rapid antigen testing Rapid antigen tests are provided free at all PCR testing centres for school students who are education contacts. If your child is an education contact they will receive a pack of five rapid antigen tests. Instructions are provided and there is also information available about rapid antigen tests at coronavirus.vic.gov.au Rapid antigen tests should be completed on school days in the morning (one each day) before attending school for the week after receiving a negative PCR test result. Using rapid antigen tests in the week after a school exposure is very important to keep our school community safe from COVID-19. Visitors Parents/carers and other adult visitors not performing work who enter school buildings must check-in using the QR code. Parents/carers who come on site but do not enter buildings do not need to show proof of vaccination. Where parents/carers indicate they are not fully vaccinated, hold SSGs via Zoom Schools must treat health information, including an individual’s vaccination status or diagnosed medical condition (such as COVID-19) in accordance with the Schools’ Privacy Policy. COVID diagnoses and vaccination statuses are not to be shared or discussed unless the individual (or their parent/carer) provides consent, or unless schools are legally obliged or authorised to do so (for example, when requested by the Department of Health for contact tracing). Further guidance on the handling of health care information can be found on PAL under Privacy and information sharing – Health care information. | 
