Coronavirus

Update on Coronavirus

As you may be aware, the situation regarding the emerging outbreak of novel coronavirus has continued to evolve.

The Commonwealth’s Chief Medical Officer and Victoria’s Chief Health Officer have this afternoon recommended a stronger precautionary approach to managing coronavirus for travellers returned from mainland China (not including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) from today (1 February 2020).

This recommendation is that parents/guardians/carers should ensure that any student returning from mainland China (not including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) who was in mainland China on or after 1 February 2020 is isolated at home and should not attend school until 14 days after they were last in mainland China.

This recommendation does not apply retrospectively. It applies only to students who were in mainland China on or after 1 February 2020.

The existing advice remains that parents/guardians/carers of students should ensure that any student is isolated at home and should not attend school for 14 days:

• following exposure to any confirmed novel coronavirus case; or
• after leaving Hubei Province.

This same advice applies to any impacted staff.

The Commonwealth has also advised that: “additional border measures will be implemented to deny entry to Australia to people who have left or transited through mainland China from 1 February 2020, with the exception of Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family and air crews who have been using appropriate personal protective equipment”.

Schools should inform their staff, students and families of this new advice through your school’s communication channels with parents.

Please refer to the Department’s coronavirus web page, where the latest advice including factsheets (with translations) for schools and parents will be uploaded as soon as available.

Additional advice and information on the steps to take can be found on the coronavirus web page which also includes advice on:

• continuity of learning for students who are not attending school
• international students and families hosting
• international travel
• maintaining good health hygiene at school
• health promotion posters and materials
• information, resources and contacts related to coronavirus.

This new advice is based on the latest expert recommendations of the Commonwealth’s Chief Medical Officer and Victoria’s Chief Health Officer.

Thank you for your continued support and work to ensure the health and wellbeing of your school community.

Dr David Howes

Deputy Secretary 

Schools and Regional Services