School closes for a week while uni campus closes after students test positive

A university campus has been closed for deep cleaning and a high school will be closed for about two weeks after students at both facilities tested positive.

Flinders Univeristy closes its Sturt campus as student tests postive to COVID-19. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

A high school in Adelaide’s northern suburbs and a well-known South Australian university will close one campus for deep cleaning after students at both facilities tested positive to COVID-19.

It was announced on Tuesday that a student from the Roma Mitchell Secondary College was infected with the virus but SA Health has now advised the school will remain closed until November 30.

Yesterday, the Education Department said the school would be closed for a minimum of 24 hours and that students were instructed to go home and stay there until further instructions were given.

Public health officials have been carrying out contact tracing and will inform students if they are required to self isolate.

COVID-19 SCHOOL CLOSURE UPDATE: Roma Mitchell Secondary College.

On the advice of @SAHealth Roma Mitchell Secondary College will be closed to all services until at least Monday 30 November. pic.twitter.com/v26hucuWWg

— Dept for Education (@edu_sagov) November 17, 2020

Flinders University will also shut down its Sturt campus for deep cleaning “out of an abundance of caution” after learning the COVID-19 infected student attended an independent English Language class on campus.

“We are working closely with SA Health and (the Intensive English Language Institute) IELI as further information emerges,” Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Clare Pollock said in a message to staff and students.

The student attended Flinders University’s Intensive English Language Institute. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

“At this stage no Flinders staff or student has been identified as a close contact and there are no confirmed cases among Flinders University staff or students.

Ms Pollock said there was no indication that the student visited any other area of the university outside of the Sturt campus.

“We are closing Sturt Campus and asking staff and students to work and study from home until Monday 8am, unless otherwise notified.”

Students with scheduled class activity or exams at Flinders’ other campuses have been advised they can still attend.

Staff who are able to work from home have also been advised to do so.

SA Health advises a person who today tested positive to COVID-19 recently attended the IELI Intensive English Language Institute on Sturt Campus. No confirmed student or staff cases. Sturt Campus is closed for precautionary cleaning. Read the full update. https://t.co/SSqgt3wJ5E

— Flinders University (@Flinders) November 17, 2020

The IELI said it was advised of the positive case on Tuesday.

In a statement, it said the student had attended two classrooms on three occasions in the past week, on November 9, 13 and 17.

“We are advising all IELI students to get a COVID-19 test and to isolate. We are working with SA Health to facilitate contact tracing,” the statement read.

“We’ve informed our students that classes will continued online from tomorrow, until our facilities can reopen and we’re offering them every support throughout students services and welfare team.”

IELI facilities — which comprise of five classrooms and five offices located at Flinders University’s Sturt campus — have been closed to deep cleaning.