Coronavirus Australia: Two Sydney schools closed after students test positive for COVID-19

Two schools within 2km of each other in Sydney’s east have been forced to close after a student at each tested positive for the coronavirus.

Two Sydney schools have been forced to close after students were diagnosed with coronavirus.

Students at Waverly College in Sydney’s east had to be evacuated this morning before Moriah College, also in the east, had to be closed.

It comes just one day after students across the state returned to classrooms full-time.

Parents were asked to collect their children from Waverly after a Year 7 boy tested positive.

Pictures from the school showed children and parents being escorted away by police officers.

The school texted parents at 9.05am to collect their children from the all-boys school.

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“Urgent advice: a member of the Senior Campus has tested positive for COVID-19 and is in isolation,” the text read.

“As a precaution, we ask that you collect your son immediately from Birrell St and Carrington Road gates.

“Health NSW will conduct contact tracing and we undertake a deep clean of the campus.

“We will be in contact with those who have had close contact and will need to isolate.”

About 1100 students attend the Catholic day school for boys from years five to 12.

This all comes after a student tested positive at St Ignatius College, Riverview, last week.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said earlier this month that closing schools temporarily would become common as pupils went back.

Police attended the school. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Several Sydney schools have shut temporarily after a confirmed COVID-19 case since March, including Epping Boys High School, Normanhurst West Public School, Warragamba Public School and St Mary's Senior High School.

Many students in NSW returned to the classroom yesterday two months after COVID-19 restrictions forced about 800,000 public school children to study remotely.

Some independent and Catholic schools also returned on Monday while others were working towards a June 1 return date.

Waverley College had all of its pupils out in 90 minutes this morning.

Deputy principal Patrick Brennan said they had been preparing for this type of scenario for months.

“We've been in touch with those students and staff members in close contact with the student and are waiting further directions from New South Wales Health. Waverley College has been preparing for COVID-19 for months,” he told reporters.

Another school in Sydney’s east also had to close. Picture: Jeremy Piper

“And we have the procedures in place to deliver schooling online in the event of an extended closure.

“We got all the boys out in 90 minutes.”

Elizabeth Warren, also a deputy principal at the school, said they couldn't answer any questions about the situation.

Education minister, Sarah Mitchell, has defended sending kids back to school saying the case doesn't mean authorities made the wrong call.

“We know more about the virus now we know the risk at school is very low and we've got those processes in place,” she said.

“We're much better equipped than we were at the end of term 1 and I think that keeping schools open is important, the health advice has always remained that that is something we should be doing and I'm confident that we can keep on this path.”