Earlier this week Toorak primary – about seven kilometres east of Middle Park – shut for an initial 24 hours, which was then extended to a fortnight closure. That time will be used to track the teacher's contacts and ensure the school is deep cleaned for students to return after the school holidays, which is slated for April 14. Two primary schools in Melbourne’s inner west also reported confirmed cases of COVID-19 in their communities on Thursday, but remained open. A parent at Kensington Primary School and a parent at Newport Gardens Primary have both tested positive to the virus.

Loading However, parents have been told the schools will stay open, based on the advice of the Department of Health and Human Services. “DHHS has advised that there is no need for our school to close or for staff or students to take any further precautionary action,” parents and carers at Kensington Primary were told. “We encourage all our students and staff to attend school as normal and for the community to support each other during this time.” More than 30 independent Victorian schools have closed or announced plans to close and shift to remote learning, mostly as a precaution.

However, Australian schools are advised to remain open unless there is a confirmed case in the community because a widespread closure would create economic costs and make children more of a health risk to the wider community, the federal government has said. Loading Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the international evidence showed the coronavirus did not present as much of a health threat to children. "The disruption that would occur from the closure of schools around this country, make no mistake, would be severe," he said. "What do I mean by severe? Tens of thousands of jobs could be lost, if not more." He added that any school lockdown would have to remain in place for six months and would trigger up to 30 per cent of health care workers having to stay home from work.