Mr Grossek, principal of Berwick Lodge Primary School, told Leader “it’s not a pretty state at the moment” and confirmed that 70 students were undergoing two weeks of isolation.More than 200 Victorian schools have been hit by Covid closures already in Term 4.On Monday last week Berwick Lodge recorded one case among students, which ballooned to 17 as of Monday, October 25.The nearby Berwick Fields Primary School, which has been contacted by Leader, is the site of a 13 case cluster according to the DHHS website.Berwick Lodge has been closed for one week and opened its doors for the first time on Tuesday, October 26.Mr Grossek said parents of symptomatic children had sent them to school last week, and the cluster has spanned prep to grade six.“What complicated it was a few parents sent their kids to school with very minor symptoms, such as a sniffle and a cough,” he said.“A few parents hadn’t been strict or vigilant enough.”Mr Grossek said he was the only member of the school’s leadership team that was able to work on-site, and had no teachers available to conduct grade 5 and 6 classes.He said that the “ripple effect” of cases was significant.“That disruption is going to happen for some time,” Mr Grossek said.He said the school’s experience, where it was closed after the first day of its opening, posed relevant concerns for authorities.“What is worse? More remote learning, or kids coming to school for a day or two and then getting sent home for two weeks.“I know that we’re not the only school that’s going through this problem.”Mr Grossek also offered a veiled criticism of the authorities, and said Berwick Lodge was yet to receive a single air purifier. With nearly 300 of Victoria’s 1461 cases on Monday in Greater Dandenong and Casey, Melbourne’s biggest south east municipalities continue to be the centre of the current outbreak.There are 211 active cases in Berwick.
Powered by WPeMatico
