Bronte Public, Waverley Public shut over COVID-19 cases
Two primary schools in Sydney’s eastern suburbs have been forced to shut their doors today and tomorrow after three staff members, who are linked “socially”, tested positive to COVID-19.
NSW
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Two primary schools in Sydney’s eastern suburbs have shut their doors today after three staff tested positive to COVID-19.
Waverley Public School and Bronte Public School told parents that the three staff members, who were linked socially and had been at both schools, were “external providers”.
They were not teachers at the schools.
Parents were told to keep their kids home in an email from the schools last night, but were not told who the “external provider” was.
NSW Health is yet to confirm how the Waverley and Bronte Public Schools staff contracted the virus.
Today contract tracing started in order to contact any known interactions with the three staff members, and those contacts will be told to isolate for 14 days.
The schools will be shut today and tomorrow for the contact tracing and for buildings to be cleaned, parents were told last night.
“The safety and wellbeing of our students is of paramount importance to us at all times,” a Department of Education statement said.
“As such we will continue to work with NSW Health to ensure that all necessary health advice is adhered to,” it said.
Students are still expected to complete their school work from home for the remainder of the term.
The NSW government has real fears of more coronavirus clusters popping up in the eastern suburbs, which has become a hotspot for virus transmission.
Waverley was flagged by the government as an area with an increased risk of community transmission, and anyone from the area with symptoms was encouraged to step forward for testing.
There are currently 170 cases in Waverley, 35 of which are locally acquired with an unknown origin.
Waverley and Bronte are just the latest schools to close their doors, after Middle Harbour Public School on the Northern Beaches announced a teacher had contracted the virus.
Originally published as Bronte Public, Waverley Public shut over COVID-19 cases