By Laura Michell
UPDATED
Meadowglen Primary School in Epping will be closed until Wednesday after a
teacher tested positive to coronavirus.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said Meadowglen Primary School would be closed for three days to enable cleaning and contract tracing.
She said parents, carers and staff were contacted by the school to let them know a staff member had tested positive, and that the Department of Health and Human Services was working to support the school.
In a Facebook statement, Premier Daniel Andrews said the teacher was recovering at home.
He said two other staff members at the school were self-isolating after coming into close contact with the teacher.
“Any Meadowglen students who can’t learn from home will be able to attend another local school. Parents are being contacted, and we’ll make sure that every child is taken care of.
The positive test comes as the number of COVID-19 cases in Whittlesea rose to 24 today.
The number of confirmed cases in Hume remains at 37.
Across Victoria, there are 1406 confirmed cases of COVID-19 – an increase of 22 from yesterday.
The Department of Health and Human Services said the new cases included 19 cases from the Cedar Meats processing facility in Brooklyn.
There are 34 cases linked to the meatworks, which has closed for 14 days while it is thoroughly cleaned.
All staff have been tested or are in the process of being tested.
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said while the curve was flattening, the battle was far from over.
“Victorians have done a remarkable job so far sticking to the coronavirus restrictions and staying at home has saved lives. But now is not the time for complacency,” he said.
“Up to 100,000 Victorians will be tested for coronavirus during these two weeks as part of a major testing blitz across the state.
“The main aim of this increase in testing is to improve access and actively search for cases, allowing us to gain a better picture of this virus and make informed decisions for Victoria.
“We are asking Victorians to again play their part and get tested if they have symptoms, because the more tests we do, the more data we have about the prevalence of coronavirus in the community.
“People with common symptoms of coronavirus including fever, chills, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose or loss of sense of smell – however mild – are encouraged to get tested.”
