Health and social workers wearing masks and PPE at the entrance of the Ariel Apartment complex today in Melbourne, Australia. Photo / Getty Images
Health and social workers wearing masks and PPE at the entrance of the Ariel Apartment complex today in Melbourne, Australia. Photo / Getty Images
A Victorian school is being closed immediately after a teacher tested positive to Covid-19 tonight, adding to the state's eight new cases.
The teacher from Bacchus Marsh Grammar attended the school's staff day on Monday but has not been in contact with any students.
The ABC reports the teacher has passed the virus on to two others.
In a letter to parents, the school confirmed that it would close and that teachers were being tested and isolating.
"We have been informed that a member of the teaching staff has tested positive for Covid-19. The teacher was at the School's Staff Day on Monday 12 July but has not been in contact with students on either Tuesday 13 July or Wednesday 14 July 2021," the letter read.
"As a result of this, all staff who were at the Staff Day on Monday 12 July have been directed by the Covid-19 Public Health Division Department of Health to isolate and be tested. We are awaiting instruction from the Department on appropriate sanitation and cleaning of the school.
BREAKING: A teacher at Bacchus Marsh Grammar, 50km northwest of Melbourne, has tested positive to COVID-19. School closed and staff being tested/isolating. @newscomauHQpic.twitter.com/k9ETcMWxxP
"Given the need for testing of virtually all staff and the need for additional cleaning, there will be no classes at the Woodlea or Maddingley Campus on Thursday and Friday 15-16 July for all students.
"In the event of a longer period of confinement for staff, online learning would commence on Monday 19 July.
"This is a fairly fluid situation and we will endeavour to keep parents informed of the situation as it develops as we have further information of any additional public health requirements.
Health and social workers wearing masks and PPE at the entrance of the Ariel Apartment complex today in Melbourne, Australia. Photo / Getty Images
"At this stage, I would strongly advise that if any student does start to present with any of the recognised Covid symptoms they are tested as soon as possible as a matter of precaution."
Bacchus Marsh, 50km northwest of Melbourne, is a short drive from Ballan where Sydney removalists who carried the virus across the border visited a McDonald's restaurant and a petrol station on July 8.
The ABC is reporting that the teacher has a friend who lives in the apartment building in Maribyrnong where the removalists worked.
New case lives in Barwon, works at Bachus Marsh Grammar, has friend in apartment block in Marybng.
"This is clearly a very rapidly moving situation," Victoria's Covid-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar said.
"We're very keen to make sure we get a very firm grip of this as soon as we possibly can."
Four of the new cases were recorded on level three of Ariele apartments in Maribyrnong where the removalists stopped.
A further two cases were family members of Ariele apartments residents and one case was believed to have been infected at Coles in Craigieburn where a family returning from a red zone were not isolating.
Mr Weimar revealed on Wednesday that the removalists were in Melbourne on a workers' permit but that they did not wear masks inside the apartment building.
He said that was a breach of the conditions of their permit. But perhaps most frustrating was the news that the crew have not been cooperating with contact tracers who only today found out there were two trucks involved.
