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ABC News
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Health

Allanson primary school records positive COVID case, contact tracing underway

The school will remain open, with a small group required to isolate. (ABC News)

The Western Australia Education Department has confirmed there has been a case of COVID-19 at a country primary school. 

Parents at Allanson Primary School near Collie, 200 kilometres south of Perth, were told on the weekend that there had been a confirmed COVID-19 case at the school.

The school will remain open, with a small group required to isolate. 

Education Department director-general Lisa Rodgers said the decision to keep the school open was in line with current health guidelines.

"Allanson Primary School has contacted families and staff to notify them of a confirmed COVID-19 case at the school," she said.

"In line with the health advice, the school remains open. A small group of people will be required to isolate under the current high caseload environment protocols."

The WA government introduced new measures to help manage a higher COVID-19 caseload in WA a week ago

The State School Teachers Union of WA president Pat Byrne said it was the first case she was aware of at a school outside metropolitan Perth. 

"As far as I understand, it is the first case that we've heard of a regional school being affected. I think it's indicative of what will be the case ... will be much more common in the future," she said.

Reports of COVID in city schools 'daily'

The report of COVID at the Allanson school comes as WA recorded 62 local cases of COVID-19 overnight. 

Ms Byrne said schools were scrambling to adjust to new measures introduced a week ago in a bid to reduce transmission. 

She said the union was now hearing daily reports of COVID in city schools.

"Approximately one or two schools every day we are hearing about, which I think indicates the prevalence of COVID in the community is a lot higher than the stats are indicating."

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