A primary school in Perth’s inner-north has become the latest West Australian school to report a positive COVID-19 case.
Parents at Highgate Primary School were notified on Monday night of a positive case who attended a Year 1 class on Friday, sending the whole cohort into isolation.
It is not known if the positive case is a student or staff member.
The school’s principal Stephen Ivey informed parents via email.
“I am writing to advise you there has been a positive case of COVID-19 at Highgate Primary School,” the email read. “They attended the Year 1 Roe House year 1 class on Friday 11 February while infectious.”
The school advised parents that if their child was in Year 1 Roe House 1 class as the same time, their child was now a close contact and needed to be tested immediately.
These children can return to school on Monday February 21, provided they:
- Have not developed any symptoms and have returned either a negative PCR or RAT on or after day 6; or
- Have developed symptoms and have either returned a negative PCR or two consecutive negative RATs 24 hours apart, on or after day 6.
Twenty-nine schools have been struck with cases of COVID-19, barely two weeks into the new school year.
Figures confirmed by The West show that up until Monday — the first day of week three — 14 primary schools had alerted parents to infections among staff or students. Another 15 secondary or kindergarten to Year 12 schools had also reported cases.
Children in primary schools have been the most affected because they are not required to wear masks, leading to whole classes being forced into isolation.