Melbourne primary school closed after two students test positive to coronavirus 

A school in Melbourne’s south-east has been shut after two students tested positive to COVID-19.

All staff and students at Pakenham Springs primary school, which is just 500m for an aged care home, have been ordered to stay home.

An urgent message was sent to parents on Sunday, confirming the two students were from the same family. 

The school will initially be closed for 24 hours while health officials undertake contact tracing and the grounds are deep cleaned.

‘Close contacts of the two students will be notified over the next 24 hours and supported to ensure they understand what actions to take,’ the message read.

‘Students and staff who have attended the school are required to remain at home while contact tracing occurs.’ 

Thanks to Australia’s relatively low coronavirus infection rates, its schools have reopened far faster than in most other countries.

But there have been several similar scares after students tested positive, forcing schools to shut.

None of these incidents have resulted in a widespread outbreak, with classes usually resuming within a day or two. 

On June 12, a primary school in Sydney was also shut down after a ‘probable’ case of coronavirus was detected.

Rose Bay Public School was closed on Friday while health officials waited for test results to come back.

Later, it was confirmed the staff member did have the deadly respiratory infection. 

Students have been asked to undertake learning from home. 

A spokesman for NSW Health explained it wasn’t yet known how the person had contracted the virus.

‘As a precaution all close contacts of this case are being identified and advised of the need to isolate and monitor for symptoms,’ he said. 

More to follow.