Novel Coronavirus
The Department of Education is currently working with the Ministry of Health to monitor and respond to the unfolding international novel coronavirus situation. Advice has been distributed to NSW Public Schools in accordance with advice received from the Ministry of Health.
There has been a small number of cases of confirmed Novel Coronavirus in New South Wales. In accordance with national public health guidelines, exclusions only apply for those who are a:
- Confirmed case of Novel Coronavirus (to be excluded from schools until medically cleared).
- Close contact of a confirmed case of Novel Coronavirus (to be excluded from schools for 14 days since last contact with the confirmed case).
Staff or students who have recently returned from overseas and are well, and are not close contacts of a confirmed case, are able attend work or school as normal.
Close contact is defined as living in the same household, 15 minutes face-to-face contact with a person with confirmed coronavirus in any setting, or sharing a closed space with a person with confirmed coronavirus for more than 2 hours.
The Ministry of Health has processes in place to identify any close contacts of cases confirmed in Australia. Advice about not attending school would be provided to these close contacts by the Ministry of Health.
Consistent with current guidelines, staff and students who are unwell with respiratory illness should remain at home until symptoms resolve. In accordance with our current practice if any child becomes unwell we will implement our infection control guidelines and follow the advice provided by the Ministry of Health as appropriate.
Thank you for enquiring about this issue. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and take advice received from NSW Ministry of Health to ensure we are responding to situation appropriately.
Further information and updates are available via NSW Health website;
Factsheet: Click here
FAQs: Click here