Earlier this week we were made aware of two key changes to the COVID-19 Public Health Order isolation requirements for household contacts and for people who have recovered from a recent bout of COVID-19. These key changes include:

• A household contact is not obligated to self-isolate as a contact more than once in a 21 day period. This means that for 14 days after they complete their self-isolation period, a household contact is not obligated to self isolate again if they are subsequently notified by another household contact. Previously, the 7 days isolation would reset if a new positive case emerged.
• A person who had COVID-19 and later becomes a close contact or household contact does not need to self-isolate if it has been less than 8 weeks since they finished their self-isolation period. Previously, this was for 28 days since they finished their self-isolation period.

As you would be aware by now, yesterday we distributed the latest round of rapid antigen tests to all students. Fortunately, we were given enough supplies to issue each student with 10 tests (instead of the originally stated 8). These tests are not required to be taken on any specific day, rather, on a needs basis should a student be experiencing any flu-like symptoms.

Finally, as has been stated previously, I request that families inform the College immediately should any student test positive to COVID-19 and again stress that should this occur, the student must isolate for a minimum of 7 days, along with any sibling from the same household (unless the household contact has completed 7 days of isolation in the previous 21 days). Finally, I would also ask that students who are displaying any type of flu-like symptoms stay at home until such symptoms have ceased.

Kind regards,

David Cloran
Assistant Principal