More than 2300 Bacchus Marsh Grammar students and hundreds of staff forced to quarantine for two weeks will not return to school until next week.
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The outbreak, which began on July 14 when a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a staff day on July 12, spread to six other staff, four students and five close household members - including three household contacts who have tested positive this week.
In a letter to parents on Monday, principal Andrew Neal said with most students, staff and their families due to have day-13 COVID tests on Tuesday and wait for a negative test result, phone call from Department of Health and written confirmation before ending isolation, it would be impossible to return earlier.
Remote learning requirements were eased on Tuesday in anticipation of families having to go out and potentially wait in queues for testing.
To streamline the massive number of people needing testing, the Department of Health added extra resources to COVID-19 testing sites throughout Moorabool, Melton and Wyndham council areas where most families live and opened a priority access lane at the Melbourne Showgrounds drive through test site.
It was estimated around 3000 primary close contacts would require day 13 testing on Tuesday alone.
Students will have regular online remote learning classes on Wednesday and a reduced workload on Thursday when the bulk of results and releases from quarantine are expected.
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Friday will be a pupil free day with some staff who have fully cleared by the Department of Health able to return on site pending DHHS approval .
"I would like to again thank our students, staff and wider school community for their perseverance, patience and understanding as we move through this challenging time," Mr Neal wrote.
"We have been overwhelmed by your messages of support and the positive way we have worked through this as a community."
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