Two schools remain closed due to virus
TWO Geelong schools shut due to COVID-19 will remain closed on Wednesday but another Bell Post Hill school closed due to possible exposure will reopen.
Covenant College, Bell Post Hill, will open to students, but Kardinia International College and Grovedale West Primary School will not.
It is six days since a second COVID-19 case was linked to the Grovedale school.
An Education Department spokeswoman said the Department of Health and Human Services recommended the closure of Grovedale West for at least three days after the second student tested positive.
“This closure allows for cleaning, which has been completed, and for DHHS to undertake a full risk assessment,” she said.
“DHHS investigations are continuing and the school will be reopened as soon they have advised it is safe to do so.”
The school was first shut last Monday after the first student, who did not attend school while infectious, tested positive.
The school reopened for two days, and then closed again on Thursday, after the second student, who did attend school while infectious, was diagnosed.
Kardinia International College is due to reopen on Thursday following a possible COVID-19 case.
“As a precaution, the college will remain closed on Wednesday, July 29, as we await formal notification from DHHS,” a post on the school’s Facebook page read.
“The college will also undergo a deep clean.
“All Year 11 and 12 students will be remote learning (on Wednesday), as timetabled. Students from Year 0-10 will continue remote learning from Thursday.
“We do strongly recommend all senior school families to provide students with masks, and encourage them to be worn at school.”
A school spokeswoman did not say if it planned to limit the movement of senior students based in Melbourne to its Geelong campus, or if a student or staff member was tested for COVID-19.
On Tuesday night, staff and students at Kardinia and Covenant College were advised not to attend junior football training sessions or netball competitions at the Bell Park Dragons club until further notice.
Covenant College principal Sue Cox said the school was closed as a precaution after a student had a “close contact” with a positive COVID-19 case in Geelong.