Covid Update

 It is strongly recommended that students:

• Who test positive to COVID-19 should stay home and isolate for five (5) days;
• Should not attend school after five (5) days if still symptomatic;
• Who are symptomatic but have not tested positive should not attend school until their symptoms resolve;
• Parents, guardians or carers advise the school of the COVID-19 positive test result.

Student who are close contacts or social contacts are permitted to attend school but are strongly recommended to:

• if a close contact – regularly test for at least seven (7) days following their last contact with the person who has COVID-19
• if a social contact - test if they have symptoms of COVID-19
• wear a face mask when leaving the house, including on public transport, at work, school, and other indoor spaces
• let fresh air into their home or other indoor spaces by opening windows, where possible
• monitor for symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, cough, or fever/chills, and stay home and test if they present with symptoms
• Parents, guardians and carers should continue to notify the school if their child(ren) is a close contact.

Rapid Antigen Tests

It is recommended that Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) are used by students and staff:

• if they have symptoms of COVID-19 infection, no matter how mild, or
• if they are a contact of someone who has COVID-19.

The Department of Health recommends that all Victorians report their positive RAT result to the Department of Health online, or by calling 1800 675 398.

Students (or their parents, guardians or carers) should also report a positive result to their school.

RAT kits are now available for all Victorians from most local councils. People can get two (2) free packs (10 tests) for themselves and two (2) free packs (10 tests) for each member of their household.

People with disability and their carers can get up to four (4) free packs (20 tests) in line with existing RAT distribution for people with disability.

As a result of RAT kits now being available to all Victorians through local councils, schools will no longer receive RAT kit supplies from the Victorian Government.

In addition, the DOSCEL Secretariat has a supply of face masks and RAT kits for DOSCEL schools who may be having difficulty in obtaining supplies from their local council.

Please contact the DOSCEL Secretariat via email to ohs@doscel.catholic.edu.au and assistance will be provided where possible.