Melbourne schools with active Covid cases
Thousands of teachers, students and families have been forced into isolation during Victoria’s latest Covid outbreak. Here’s how the virus has ripped through several schools.
Victoria
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Eleven Victorian schools have so far been exposed to positive Covid-19 cases during the latest outbreak.
Thousands of teachers, students and their families have been forced into isolation and many are still anxiously awaiting test results.
The identification of at least one school as an “outbreak setting at high risk of transmission” has led to renewed calls for teachers — and even students — to be prioritised for vaccination.
The latest case confirmed on Monday night was a senior student at Ruyton Girls’ School in Kew.
The devastating chain of events began last Saturday when a teacher from Bacchus Marsh Grammar caught the virus after going to the pub and the Cats vs. Blues match at the MCG with an infected friend.
Another teacher, who works at Trinity Grammar, was also infected at the footy.
Both those teachers, who were asymptomatic, then unknowingly spread the virus to colleagues and students over the coming days.
Premier Daniel Andrews said there were critical differences between how the virus had spread at each college.
“A conference of 350 teachers (at Bacchus Marsh Grammar) is different to what occurred at Trinity or any other school,” he said.
“What we try and do is be as focused on the facts as possible in each circumstance.”
But on Monday — two days after the fateful football match — the Trinity Grammar teacher also spent a full day planning with 150 other teachers at the Kew school, setting off a chain of transmission that now stands at nine people.
Mr Andrews said Victoria was seeing the Delta variant transmitting among young people and schoolchildren more than during previous outbreaks.
“This is a different thing than we faced last year. I think it was the right call to follow the
advice and close schools,” he said.
Unions, parents and educator lobby groups are united in calling for teachers to be vaccinated as a priority.
However, federal Education Minister Alan Tudge and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews have not offered their support in light of low vaccination stocks.
Here is a current list of affected schools.
ST PATRICK’S PRIMARY SCHOOL, MURRUMBEENA
Two Cases, both year 4 students.
The school has 357 students and 35 staff.
In an urgent email to parents last Thursday, St Patrick’s Primary School said it was notified by the Department of Health that one of its students in year 4 had tested positive to the Delta strain of Covid-19.
The second case, also a year 4 student, is believed to have emerged a day later.
EMMANUEL COLLEGE
One case, a student.
The Point Cook campus has more than 2000 students and 200 staff.
Students from the Notre Dame campus as well as the St Paul’s campus, who attended a joint class at Notre Dame on either July 13 or 14, are advised to remain at home while contact tracing occurs.
ST MARGARET’S BERWICK GRAMMAR
One case, a staff member.
The school has nearly 750 students and nearly 200 staff.
A letter to the school community on Saturday July 17 confirmed a senior staff member had contracted the virus.
BACCHUS MARSH GRAMMAR/BARWON HEADS PRIMARY
Twelve cases, including at least seven teachers, as well as one student at Bacchus Marsh Grammar and one student at Barwon Heads Primary.
Bacchus Marsh Grammar has 300 staff and 2700 students and Barwon Heads Primary has 500 students and 50 staff.
A Bacchus Marsh Grammar teacher, who lives in Barwon Heads, attended Young and Jackson pub and the Cats vs. Blues game with a friend on July 10.
He caught Covid-19 from the friend, a resident of the Ariele Apartments in Maribyrnong and then attended a staff day on Monday July 12.
Four teachers had tested positive by Friday, followed by another two staff members and a student on Saturday and another teacher on Sunday.
The original Bacchus Marsh Grammar teacher’s son, who attends Barwon Heads Primary, caught Covid from his father, as did two other family members.
A further case from Bacchus Marsh Grammar was announced on Monday by the Premier.
However, nobody else at Barwon Heads Primary has tested positive.
On Monday the Premier said there were 2700 close contacts and 76 per cent had returned results.
BALLARAT CLARENDON COLLEGE
No cases among the school’s 1500 students and 250 staff.
A family member of students in years 10 and 12 tested positive last Friday but the school has now been cleared and members of the community given an early exit from isolation.
TRINITY GRAMMAR
Eight cases including five staff and three students at the school which has 1500 students and 250 staff.
A senior school teacher and well-liked sporting coach caught the virus at the MCG and unknowingly spread it to three other staff and three students by Sunday.
He was at a staff retreat on Monday last week and then had exposure to students on Tuesday and Wednesday before he left the school after being notified he was a close contact of the infected man at the MCG. Students and parents were notified by the school on Thursday after his positive result and the school was closed immediately.
The outbreak is creating waves at nearby schools, community groups and sporting clubs attended by potentially positive Trinity student cases.
The school’s principal announced on Monday that one more positive teacher case had been identified.
There are 2300 close contacts at the school, with 57 per cent of students having returned a negative result on Monday.
RUYTON GIRLS’ SCHOOL
A senior student from Ruyton Girls’ School tested positive on Monday.
Rehearsals last Wednesday of Strictly Ballroom, a student musical between the two schools, have also been identified as a tier one exposure location.
As a consequence, the entire senior school at Ruyton has been declared a Covid exposure site.
Principal Linda Douglas told parents about 8.30pm on Monday that all year seven to 12 students and staff who work in the senior school and were at school last Thursday were now classified as primary close contacts and must get tested and isolate for 14 days. Their family members must also isolate for this length of time and may only be released when their daughter tests positive on day 13 – Wednesday July 28.
Ms Douglas told parents that “this means anyone who has shared face-to-face contact or an enclosed space with a Ruyton Senior School student or staff member since Thursday July 15 is now a SCC”. These contacts must get tested and stay home until they receive clearance from the Department of Health.
Earlier, about 80 students and their families were in isolation. The school has 880 students and 160 staff.
Year 11 and 12 girls from Ruyton who attend classes at Trinity on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday last week are now isolating along with their families.
A number of additional students from the school mixed with Trinity students while rehearsing the cancelled school musical Strictly Ballroom and are also in isolation.
METHODIST LADIES’ COLLEGE
No cases, but some students and their families in isolation. The school has 2000 students and 450 staff.
A number of Trinity year 11 students also attended preliminary events linked to the Methodist Ladies’ College year 11 formal on Thursday 15th July.
The formal was not cancelled until about 5.30pm, which meant a number of students still partied together during the evening.
SEABROOK PRIMARY SCHOOL
No cases among its 1000 students and 100 staff.
A taekwondo class, reportedly deemed a “gathering of concern”, was held at the Point Cook school last Tuesday night.
SOUTH MELBOURNE PRIMARY
No cases so far among its 450 students and 50 staff.
Staff and students at the state primary school were contacted on Monday telling them a
person attended the school last Thursday, 15th July, unaware they were infectious.
Anyone who was at the school on July 15 has been deemed a Tier 1 close contact, and is required to be tested and isolate for 14 days.
ST ALBANS MEADOWS PRIMARY
One worker at the school infected. School has 470 students and 77 staff.
Last Friday the school community was told a person working at the school canteen on Wednesday 14 July tested positive.
The school was closed and staff and students were advised to get tested. Two other staff members have since been placed in hotel quarantine for 14 days after direct contact with the infected worker.
Students who purchased food from the canteen on July 14 have been told to test and isolate until they get a negative result.
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