COVID has hit one of Ballarat's biggest high schools this week - with Year Nine classes decimated.
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Ballarat High School principal Gary Palmer said he could not confirm how many students were absent due to the virus, but said "five or six" staff out of 160 were currently unavailable.
"We've had a COVID spike this week," he said.
"We've communicated with parents and given the kids Rapid Antigen Test kits as well as masks to take home.
"Every classroom in the school has an air purifier and there is hand-sanitiser available in the corridors.
"This is an isolated spike mainly affecting Year Nines, but the school had bigger COVID spikes in 2022."
Sources told The Courier there were classes of around 25 students with at least 10 absent due to the virus on Thursday.
They also said many students tested positive at the same time - on Sunday March 12 - five days after an excursion.
Mr Palmer said the origin of the outbreak could not be determined - and some students were staying away as a precaution to protect others.
The students' five-day isolation periods mean they have not taken part in this week's NAPLAN tests.
"They'll be doing catch-up sessions next week - and if we get permission, possibly the week after as well," Mr Palmer said.
"We'll get through it."
Ballarat High School has about 300 Year Nine students - with a dedicated learning centre for the year-level near the school oval.
Latest figures show Ballarat is going through a dramatic COVID-19 spike.
The council area has seen 143 new cases in the past week - and 25 in the last day.
Ballarat has 109 COVID cases per 100,000 people - the third highest concentration of cases behind Queenscliffe on 170 and Mildura on 130.
In comparison, the City of Melbourne has seen just 132 cases in the last week - a concentration of a mere 73 per 100,000 residents.
However, case numbers all depend on the communities' open reporting.
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Gabrielle Hodson
'All-rounder' journalist since 1993. I've worked in print, radio, TV & online as well as radio & TV producing and radio presenting. Working on Wadawurrung land. There are 7.9 billion stories out there. I'd love to hear yours...
'All-rounder' journalist since 1993. I've worked in print, radio, TV & online as well as radio & TV producing and radio presenting. Working on Wadawurrung land. There are 7.9 billion stories out there. I'd love to hear yours...
