RISK OF COVID-19

Through Compass Parent Portal our school will advise you daily when members of our school community test positive to COVID-19. We will inform you about the cohort (group) of students and staff who worked with this group of students who may have had contact with a person who was infectious with COVID-19.

While testing and isolation is no longer mandatory for exposures in school settings, ACT Health has provided advice on testing and isolation recommendations for the community following exposure to COVID-19. If notified about potential exposure, you should consider this information when making decisions for your child and family. 

You are reminded that staff and students cannot attend school if they are showing any symptoms of COVID-19. These include fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, loss of smell/taste, muscle/joint pains, diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting, extreme tiredness, unexplained chest pain or conjunctivitis (eye infection).

If symptoms occur at any time, you should not attend school and should undertake a rapid antigen test. If a rapid antigen test is positive you/your child should isolate as someone who has tested positive to COVID-19. If you cannot access a rapid antigen test, you can attend a PCR (nose and throat swab) testing clinic.

Advice and further resources are available on the ACT Health website including COVID-19 guidelines and fact sheets for People who tested positive or were exposed to COVID-19. Additional resources are also available on the ACT Government website.

The safety and wellbeing of our staff and students are paramount at all times. As such, we will continue to ensure that all necessary health advice is closely followed.

Thank you for your support.

Yours sincerely

Leah Taylor
Principal
St Thomas Aquinas, West Belconnen

1 February 2022