More schools close as 90 per cent of students stay home

NSW schools are continuing to close as the coronavirus crisis gripping the state continues to deepen. We list all today’s closed schools plus how many schools have closed due to COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

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Three more NSW public schools have closed today as the state’s education system continues to deal with the coronavirus fallout.

More than 90 per cent of students across NSW stayed home this week after Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged parents to keep their children home despite schools remaining open.

Maimuru Public School in the state’s South West Slopes, Mandurama Public School in the Central West and Wanaaring Public School in the state’s northwest were closed Friday.

Three more NSW public schools have closed today.

The fresh closures bring to nine the number of schools forced to close since the COVID-19 crisis began.

Normanhurst West Public School reopened Friday after being closed Wednesday and Thursday when two staff members contracted the virus.

Select staff at Normanhurst West Public School must now self isolate for two weeks while the principal of a nearby school is brought in temporarily run the facility.

Ms Berejiklian copped criticism following Monday’s announcement, with many questioning why schools were being kept open if the official government advice was to keep children home.

“Schools stay open. If you need to send your child to school, schools stay open. However, we are recommending at this time that parents keep their children at home,” Ms Berejiklian said.

The Premier said NSW was a very different state to the rest of Australia, with the highest number of cases and the most people returned from overseas.

“But to give you assurance, we also have the highest rates of testing, and that’s what’s giving me comfort,” she said.

Coronavirus cases in NSW rose to 1405 overnight, with 278 contracted locally.

Health authorities have been unable to track 145 NSW cases to their infection source.

Closed Friday

Maimuru Public School

Mandurama Public School

Wanaaring Public School.

Previously forced to close

Katoomba High School

Willoughby Girls High School, Willoughby

St Patrick’s Marist College, Dundas

Epping Boys High School, Epping

St Christopher’s Catholic Primary School, Panania

Normanhurst West Public School

Schools taking extra action

Kinross Wolaroi School -- Orange-- full school closures

St Andrew’s Cathedral School closed-- minimal supervision

Trinity Grammar School closed-- remote supervision

Pymble Ladies College -- fully online

Presbyterian Ladies College-- fully online

Knox Grammar -- online only

Queenwood-- online learning

Parramatta Marist School-- fully online

Originally published as More schools close as 90 per cent of students stay home