KTC’s ‘extreme’ requirements for Melbourne travellers

KESSER Torah College (KTC) has asked parents to keep themselves and their children away from the school campus for three days if they have returned from a visit to Melbourne.

In a letter to parents on Monday, KTC principal Roy Steinman said the college was “aware of the rising number of COVID cases in Melbourne, and in particular, the number of active cases in the Jewish community”.

“We are also aware that there are a number of smachot soon to be taking place in Melbourne,” he added.

“In an effort to prevent our school from having to evacuate and go back to ‘lockdown’ and online learning until such time as we receive an ‘all clear’ from NSW Health – in the event of a positive COVID exposure (be it close or casual) – we want to put in place some safeguards to minimise the risk of bringing COVID back from Melbourne and into our school community.

“Therefore, if you have returned from a visit to Melbourne, or you are a close contact of someone who has been in Melbourne at this time, we ask that you and/or your children stay away from the school campus for a period of three days and that you have a COVID test on the last of those three days, before you or your children return to school.”

Noting, “I am aware that some may feel that this school policy is rather extreme,” Steinman continued, “We believe it is necessary to ensure that we do everything physically possible to prevent the school from having to evacuate and go back to remote learning, so soon after having returned to the campus.

“We all want to ensure the best, and safest possible outcome for all of our students and the community, in our efforts to create an uninterrupted five weeks leading to the end of the academic year.”

Last Monday saw the return of all year groups to face-to-face learning after months of lockdown.