Ian Filer
Below is the update the Department for Education provided for staff regarding COVID-19 that I though it prudent to share with the community.
While there have so far been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Department for Education sites, it is important that we are prepared for the possibility.
For the safety of our community and the wider public, the Department for Education has implemented the following measures to support the containment of COVID-19.
These measures build on our previous protocols and are based on the advice of SA Health and Commonwealth agencies.
It’s very important that all staff familiarise themselves with and follow this advice.
The advice will continue to be updated as the situation develops.
Current advice on self-isolation and staying at home
In-line with Commonwealth advice, the current advice from the South Australian Department for Education for parents, students and staff is:
- Any student or staff member who has travelled in or transited through mainland China, Iran, South Korea or Italy must self-isolate for 14 days after leaving the high risk country.
- Close contacts of a confirmed case of COVID-19 must self-isolate for 14 days since last contact with the confirmed case.
- All returned travellers who develop symptoms (especially fever and cough) within 14 days of returning from anywhere overseas should seek testing for COVID-19, and self-isolate while awaiting test results.
- Any confirmed case of COVID-19 will be excluded from school/childcare/the workplace until they are medically cleared to return.
- Students and staff who have returned to Australia from anywhere else overseas and have no symptoms are able to return to school or work.
Consistent with current guidelines, all children, students and staff who are unwell with respiratory illness should remain at home until symptoms resolve.
Visit the SA Health website for more information on home isolation.
Site closures
The Department for Education has well-practiced disaster and emergency management protocols and a clear process for reporting and managing notifiable diseases.
If a confirmed case of COVID-19 is identified in a staff member, student or child, the site will be contacted by SA Health to confirm the presence of a case/s.
The department will also be notified by SA Health. However, to ensure we can enact immediate support, principals/directors should immediately contact their education director and the department’s work health and safety team on 8226 1440. A range of parent and staff communication materials will be available.
In the event of a confirmed case, the site will be closed for a minimum of 24 hours and children will need to be picked up immediately.
Closure will allow public health officials to identify and notify any close contacts and advise on treatment and self-isolation. The site will also be subjected to a thorough clean.
It will only reopen on the advice of health experts and when it is safe to do so.
In the event of a closure, parent communication materials will be provided for distribution. Advice will also be provided to site leaders on staffing arrangements at this time.
If a student becomes unwell with flu-like symptoms while in your care, infection control practices should be enacted and the student referred to a medical practitioner.
Staff leave
It is important that staff who are unwell stay at home and recover to avoid the spread of winter illnesses (not just COVID-19).
If staff present to work unwell, managers will send them home and will advise them to attend a medical practitioner as soon as possible to seek advice on the period of absence.
Where staff are unwell they will be expected to access their personal (sick) leave, or other leave entitlements.
In the event of a site closure, the department will advise directly on staff leave arrangements.
Managers seeking advice regarding staff leave in the event of self-isolation should contact the department’s work health and safety team on 8226 1440.
Staff and student travel restrictions
In light of current health and travel warnings from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, overseas school excursions to all countries except New Zealand are on hold are on hold until the end of term 2. This will be reviewed as more information comes to hand.
International work-related travel for staff to all countries except New Zealand are also on hold until further notice.
Hygiene standards
Personal hygiene and the hygiene standards in our schools and preschools are critical to reducing the risk of infection.
All children and staff must be encouraged to:
- wash their hands regularly, particularly after using the toilet and before eating
- avoid spreading infections to others by staying home if they are unwell
- cover a cough or sneeze with a tissue
Resources and posters are available from SA Health and should be displayed prominently at your site.
Australian government advice for parents and schools
Parents seeking more information should be encouraged to call the National Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080, or visit: www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-schools-and-early-childhood-centres
The Australian Government publishes a daily alert with the latest medical advice and official reports here.