Updated advice on Coronavirus

Dear Parents/Carers,

As you may be aware, the situation regarding the emerging outbreak of novel coronavirus has continued to evolve. We will continue to communicate updates as they arrive through our website.

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

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.

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 to ensure the health and wellbeing of our school community.

Nicky Walker

Principal