If staff or children show coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms when they return to school
If a member of school staff or a child has symptoms matching those of coronavirus (COVID-19) they will be asked to go home and get tested.
Symptoms include:
- fever
- chills or sweats
- cough
- sore throat
- shortness of breath
- runny nose
- loss or change in sense of smell or taste.
Sometimes a headache, muscle soreness, stuffy nose, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea may also be considered a symptom.
Isolation and supervision
School staff, children or young people at school showing any symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) will be isolated in a suitable space with supervision and collected by a parent or carer as soon as possible.
Staff protection and hygiene
If the child cannot remain isolated while waiting to be collected, the staff member looking after them will wear a mask and carry out frequent hand hygiene.
If staff, a child or family member is diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19)
We have procedures in place with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to manage suspected or confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in schools.
Immediate action
School will contact us if a child or staff member:
- is a confirmed case
- has been in close contact with a confirmed case.
Close contact
DHHS defines 'close contact' as someone who has either:
- had at least 15 minutes of face-to-face contact with a confirmed case of coronavirus (COVID-19)
- shared a closed space for more than two hours with someone who is a confirmed case.
What your child's school will do
If your child's school is directly impacted by a confirmed case of coronavirus (COVID-19), we will work with DHHS to confirm what the school needs to do. This may include the school closing for a short time while an investigation and contact tracing takes place. DHHS may recommend a deep clean of the school. All surfaces, furniture and equipment will be disinfected with hospital-grade disinfectant as part of the deep clean. The school will be made operational as soon as possible.