Elite Melbourne school shut down after senior teacher diagnosed with coronavirus
Students at Carey Baptist Grammar will not return to school this week after a senior teacher tested positive to coronavirus in Victoria’s first person-to-person transmission case. It comes as the elite school scrambles to track the virus’s potential spread.
VIC News
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Carey Baptist Grammar will remain shut for the rest of the week after confirming a senior teacher had been infected with coronavirus.
Classes and co-curricular activities at Carey Grammar will not resume until next week, with the female teacher in her 50s becoming the first case of person-to-person transmission in Victoria.
A leaked internal memo sent this afternoon to staff said the school will be closed until Sunday March 15.
All upcoming interstate and overseas trips have also been placed on hold.
“The closure will include all scheduled activities and events for the week including parent teacher interviews and all weekend activities for students and staff,” the email from school principal Johnathan Walter said.
Lines of patients lining up for COVID-19 testing now extending half a block at @TheRMH. pic.twitter.com/T8X1nrtPSn
— Grant McArthur (@mcarthurg) March 10, 2020
“The Health Department will be in direct contact shortly with anyone who are identified as having close contact with the staff member.
“Close contact is defined as someone who has been face-to-face for at least 15 minutes or been in the same closed space for at least two hours with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 when that person was infectious.
“Understandably this is a challenging situation for families as well as staff and we are working to manage the broad implications of both the virus exposure and the temporary shutdown of the school.”
The extended closure comes as the Health Department declined to comment on whether a second Carey Grammar teacher had today tested positive for coronavirus.
The Herald Sun has approached the school but is has declined to comment on the matter.
— Are you a parent at Carey Grammar? Email brianna.travers@news.com.au
The school principal has encouraged students to be “proactive” with their learning.
“We encourage parents to support their children in ensuring the continuity of their learning at this time,” a statement to families said.
“While the school has been closed due to precautionary measures, staff will commence supporting students via online learning.”
A student, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Herald Sun they were aware of at least two pupils being tested for the illness after potential exposure to the teacher.
Those students, one in year 12, are understood to be from Newnham house.
“It has made me feel uneasy especially as the communication has been poor,” the student said.
“I’m not sure if I will be back to school tomorrow. I also have school tests this week and I am not sure if they are still on.
“We did receive an email about this last night, but it wasn’t very clear and we haven’t got any updates after it was revealed that the teacher was positive.
“It’s also made the coronavirus situation feel more real.”
Carey Grammar principal Jonathan Walter said this morning the school had a “big day ahead” mapping the spread within the school.
“We had confirmation yesterday afternoon a staff member who had come in contact with an individual who had coronavirus,” he said.
“Overnight, we have had a positive test come back on that staff member.
“We are going through the process of mapping the spread of the potential spread of the virus within the school.”.
The school is in the process of ringing dozens of students and their families who may have been exposed.
The female schoolteacher, aged in her 50s, was infected with the coronavirus through “household contact” with another unwell person, who is understood to have travelled on the same US-Melbourne flight as Toorak doctor Chris Higgins.
Worksafe chief Colin Radford supported the move by the school and flagged it was likely more businesses would be shut down if a worker tested positive.
“Our advice is to follow the guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services,” he said.
“In an instance where there is a positive test, the normal procedure would be to close that entity down while there is a thorough investigation … and then rely on the advice of medical experts.
He said workers should be advised and quarantined if they have had contact with the infected person.
The closure of the school has thrown Carey’s participation in the upcoming APS swimming carnival as well as regular weekend sport into doubt.
A letter from the school’s principal was sent out to parents on Monday evening.
“I am writing to advise you that today Carey was advised of a case of exposure to coronavirus (COVID-19) that has occurred within the Carey school community,” the letter from principal Jonathan Walter reads.
“An adult in our community (Kew campus) has had direct contact with a person with COVID-19 and they have developed symptoms consistent with the virus. This person is now being tested.
“The health and safety of our community is our first priority. Carey has been in contact with both the Department of Health and the Department of Education to ensure we have the latest information and advice. Based on this advice, Carey has made the decision to close the whole school (Kew and Donvale) for the day on Tuesday 10 March while we assess the situation.
“We are working closely with the Department of Health to identify any potential exposure and we will be in direct contact with any potentially affected individuals.
“In the interim, all staff and students are asked to stay at home and there will be no classes or activities at the School on Tuesday, 10 March.
“Please note that the OSH Club (after-care at Kew and Donvale) will also be cancelled on Tuesday 10 March.
“Carey will send a further update tomorrow afternoon, Tuesday 10 March regarding the resumption of classes and any further actions taken by the School to ensure the health and safety of all in our community.
“In line with government advice, we remind all staff, students and parents that if you develop cold and flu viral symptoms such as fever, you are requested to self-quarantine, report to your doctor or a hospital emergency department for testing and inform the School as soon as possible.
“Any staff member or student who has been in contact with a person who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 should self-quarantine for 14 days from the last date of contact with an infected individual.”
Students have been asked not to play, train or attend sporting matches by one eastern suburbs sports league, as the impact of the coronavirus continues to escalate.
In the first sign students at affected schools may be isolated by other organisations, Basketball Hawthorn has asked parents to keep children away from matches or training.
A letter sent to all players’ parents on Tuesday afternoon asks parents to be “especially mindful if you or your children attend a school with a known outbreak”.
“For example, you might wish to exclude your children from training or matches, although this course of action has not officially been advised by any school or any Health Authorities at this time,” the letter from general manager Brock Rogers says.
On Tuesday afternoon Carey Grammar told parents it was “working closely with the Health and Education Departments to ensure best practice in managing our response and to maximise protection of our community from the virus” after a senior female teacher tested positive for the virus overnight.
It is understood a number of nearby private schools in the Kew area where Carey is located are considering their responses to the local virus outbreak.
Among the schools preparing for closure is Trinity Grammar, which wrote to parents on Tuesday night flagging the possibility.
“The School’s Leadership Team has been putting contingencies in place designed to offer meaningful and age appropriate learning via electronic means where applicable,” a letter from parents from principal Adrian Farrer said.
Trinity Grammar is close to Carey Grammar, which is closed until next week following a staff member contracting the virus.
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With Susie O’Brien