Coronavirus outbreak grows as another school closes
A Melbourne primary school has become the latest to close its doors due to coronavirus.
Strathmore Primary School, in Melbourne’s inner north, will be closed on Tuesday as it undergoes a deep clean.
A Victoria Department for Education and Training spokeswoman confirmed the school’s closure to Yahoo News Australia.
“The Department of Health and Human Services has recommended closure of Strathmore Primary school after a confirmed case of coronavirus (COVID-19) infection was identified in a student.
“The school will close for all students and staff for at least 24 hours, effective Tuesday, June 16, so that contact tracing and cleaning can occur.”
The spokeswoman added further investigations are being undertaken to whether anyone else at the school needs to self-isolate.
“We wish the student a speedy recovery and look forward to welcoming them back to school once they’ve recovered,” she said.
It follows a Year 5 student testing positive to the virus.
While Victoria readies for its next step to normality, nine new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded on Tuesday, bringing the state's infection tally to 1741.
Of these, two cases were linked to a known outbreak at Monash Health while one was associated with an extended family cluster in Coburg.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said the Monash Health outbreak had increased to six cases after a patient and health care worker recently tested positive.
A Monash Health spokesperson on Monday said close contacts were identified and placed in quarantine but no services have closed following the incident.
The extended family cluster has grown to 12 cases after they had gatherings across homes in Coburg, Broadmeadows and Pakenham.
Four of the family members to test positive are children who attended two different schools in Melbourne, prompting their closure for cleaning and contact tracing.
On Monday, Pakenham Springs Primary School was closed after two students test positive along with St Dominic’s at Broadmeadows.
While the school undergoes thorough cleaning and risk assessment, staff and students have been advised to stay at home, according to an email which appears to have been sent to parents and carers by the school’s acting principal Renee Cotterell.
Yahoo News Australia has contacted Victoria’s Department for Education and Training for comment.
More to come.
with AAP
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