"We [have] established now a clear orthodoxy," Health Minister Brad Hazzard said on Monday afternoon. "If a child, staff member, or any other person within that school is found to have the COVID-19 virus, then effectively a breather will be taken and a day out will be the immediate requirement." During that day off, NSW Health protocol will be to assess affected students' movements throughout the school, track down their close contacts and alert people who need to self-isolate. "That will, I think, become the norm in the next few weeks. We're seeing more and more people who are actually having transmission by contact and it's likely that we will see more of this," Mr Hazzard said. Students leaving Willoughby Girls High on Monday morning after a case of coronavirus was identified in the school. Credit:Nick Moir

All students vacated Willoughby Girls and St Patrick's within hours on Monday after the school communities were notified of the new coronavirus cases in the morning. Executive director of the Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta Greg Whitby learned the two St Patrick's students had been diagnosed while kids were "already on their way" to school. Students split into their home room groups and parents were asked to collect their children, but the school remained open with supervision and reduced interaction between students. St Patrick's is about 10 kilometres away from Epping Boys High School, which was the first school to close last Friday after a 16-year-old student was diagnosed with COVID-19. Epping Boys was cleaned over the weekend and reopened on Monday, while 69 students and staff members who came into close contact with the affected boy are self-isolating for 14 days.

"During the period of self-isolation [Epping Boys] students will access educational materials available through the school's Google Classroom software package, which is already well utilised by students and staff for in class and out of school learning," a Department of Education spokesperson said. "Staff will also be able to access resources to enable them to work from home as appropriate." A spokesperson for the Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta, which runs St Patrick's, said that "any students who cannot attend school due to self-isolation will be able to receive their learning programs at home". Greg Whitby, executive director of Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta, stands in the emptied quadrangle at St Patrick’s Marist College in Dundas. Credit:Kate Geraghty 'It's not a joking matter'

Mr Hazzard also warned students against taking the risk of coronavirus too lightly since young people tend to exhibit less severe symptoms, such as a runny nose or cough. Loading "The symptoms are not profound ... But it's not a joking matter. I have heard of students thinking it's a joke and they can perhaps cough and splutter on each other," he said. "While you may be lucky enough to be in a group that's unlikely to have a serious consequence, your mums, your dads, your grandparents, aunties and uncles may be in a different position." Mr Scott said the education department was translating health messages into community languages and disseminating them to families.