East Gippsland returned another positive COVID-19 case – the eighth in total – on Tuesday.
The individual is self-isolating and has done so since taking the test. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), through its contact tracers, will contact any close contacts and potential hot spots in the community that members of the general public may have been exposed to.
The infected individual is a member of the Bairnsdale Secondary College community, however has not been on site at the school since July.
Students from year seven to 12 resumed on-site learning this Monday, however have been advised it is not required to close as students are not at risk of acquiring the virus.
“I would like to reassure you that we took immediate action as soon as we became aware of the situation and sought advice from the Department of Education and Training (DET) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS),” school principal, Trudie Nagle, said in a statement.
“DET and DHHS has advised us that no action is required at this stage because the positive case did not come on to school grounds while they were contagious. This course of action has been approved by DHHS.
“We will still be taking every possible precaution. Like all Victorian Government schools, ours will undergo regular enhanced cleaning for the rest of term, with a focus on high-touch areas. Face masks will be compulsory for all returning students over the age of 12.