Close Contact Tracing
Dear Parents and Carers
As we all know, there are currently high numbers of COVID-19 positive cases in Western Australia. Our school’s priority is the safety of our students and staff. Keeping the community safe is a shared responsibility and I am writing to advise how our school is managing positive cases.
Once the school is aware that a COVID-19 positive student or staff member has been infectious while at school, we will identify close contacts from school and advise them of the testing and isolation requirements. The school is only responsible for identifying close contacts that occur during school and at school-based activities.
When transmission risk is likely (e.g. mask is not worn at all times) through activities outside of school, and a family member becomes COVID-19 positive, parents and carers are responsible for informing friends and community members that are close contacts that they meet the close contact definition.
For example, if a child attended a party at the weekend and tested positive on Monday, the parent/carer should contact anyone they interacted with, where masks were not worn for:
- 15 minutes with face-to-face contact
OR
- 2 hours in a small room.
The infectious period starts 48 hours before symptoms develop or 48 hours prior to a positive test if the person does not have symptoms. Therefore, anyone who meets the close contact definition above over that weekend should be contacted.
Healthywa.wa.gov.au has information on close contacts, the close contact definition and isolation requirements should you require further clarity on how to identify a close contact.
Please continue to let us know if your child becomes COVID-19 positive, or if your child is required to isolate due to being a household close contact. Access to remote learning materials is available via our school website and through Connect, which your child has access to with their student login. We are committed to ensuring students continue to learn and we will provide learning for students should they need to isolate.
Thank you for your continued support for keeping our schools COVID-19 safe.
Kind regards
Jan Stone
Principal