Classroom in quarantine for Margaret River Primary School after COVID-19 case confirmed

An entire class from Margaret River Primary School has been ordered into quarantine and testing due to a confirmed COVID-19 infection announced by the school earlier today. A person who later tested positive to COVID-19 attended the Year 1 Room 9 class on Wednesday this week while infected, with the Health Department undertaking contact tracing. In an email to parents, principal Aaron Thomas today said all students and staff who were in the classroom on that date were deemed close contacts and must quarantine for seven days. Close contacts would undertake another test on Tuesday, March 1, before the quarantine period ends on Wednesday, March 2, at 3pm. “These students and staff can return to school on Thursday, March 3, provided they have not developed any symptoms and have returned either a negative PCR on day 6 or RAT on or after day 7,” Mr Thomas said. “If students or staff are unwell, they should stay home until symptoms clear.” The positive case follows more than 600 new infections declared Statewide on Thursday, as well as five cases in Bunbury on Wednesday. A Clinipath drive-through testing centre is operating behind the Margaret River Heart from 9am to 1pm on weekdays. Anyone requiring testing who is not symptomatic is encouraged to use the drive-through service to avoid addin pressure on Margaret River Hospital. Mr Thomas said MRPS remained open and children who attended other classes were not required to isolate. The school asked anyone with symptoms to seek testing and not attend school until results were clear. “Please note that the Omicron strain can present with less typical symptoms such as diarrhoea, particularly in children,” Mr Thomas said. Parents would be informed of further developments by direct message and the school referred parents to the school’s distance learning guide “just so you know what to expect should students be required to isolate,” Mr Thomas said.