SEVERAL Hunter schools are facing a delayed start to the week after COVID-19 exposures forced them to close for cleaning.
Hunter Sports High School, Eleebana Public School, Jewells Public School and Newcastle Junior School will be closed for at least 24 hours after a member of the school community tested positive for COVID-19.
Students at Jewells were only cleared to return on Friday after the school closed on Thursday.
In an email to families, Hunter Sports High School said all students and staff had been asked to isolate until further notice. The school said on Monday afternoon it would also be closed on Tuesday.
The Department of Education said students and staff identified as close contacts at the schools have been notified and asked to self-isolate for the required period and follow the NSW Health advice and protocols.
St Paul's Primary School at Rutherford and and All Saints College Maitland St Peter's Campus will also be closed on Tuesday for contact tracing and cleaning.
The department said Morisset High, Great Lakes College Forster Campus and Caves Beach, Hamilton South, Elermore Vale, Mount Hutton and Grahamstown public schools reopened on Monday.
Holy Spirit Infants School at Abermain and Holy Spirit Primary School at Kurri Kurri also reopened on Monday.
Soldiers Point Public School and Maitland Grossmann High remained closed, after they and Caves Beach Public School were identified over the weekend as having positive cases in their communities.
The Hunter New England Health region reported 33 cases on Sunday, down from 74 the previous day.
This morning's closures continue an interrupted resumption of face-to-face learning for schools in the region.
Students in kindergarten, year one and year 12 resumed face-to-face learning from October 18 and all other remaining grades returned to classrooms on October 25.
The number of schools that have closed for contact tracing and cleaning over the past week is more than 25.
Elermore Vale, Grahamstown, Hamilton South and Mount Hutton public schools, Morisset High and Great Lakes College Forster Campus were closed last Friday for deep cleaning and contact tracing.
Also last Friday, staff and students were cleared to return to Jewells Public School, Maitland East Public School and Francis Greenway High School, a day after they were closed on Thursday. St Joseph's Primary at Charlestown also reopened on Friday.
Carrington Public School closed last Wednesday to reopen Thursday. Mayfield East Public School, Hamilton South Public School, Weston Public School and Tuncurry Public School were closed last Tuesday to reopen Wednesday. Irrawang, Thornton and Mayfield West were shut last Monday.
Responding to a question about whether families should expect to see "lots of schools" close, the Department of Education said on its website that "no doubt we will see people who have been at school while infectious, as we have seen throughout this pandemic".
Students aged under 12 can not yet get vaccinated.
"We have got to remember all the medical advice suggests that transmission among children is lower than among adults, and that when children do catch COVID they generally have only very mild symptoms," it said.
"Depending on the circumstances of an outbreak in a school, we will see some schools need to close and staff/students self-isolate.
"But we have been working with NSW Health to reduce the circumstances for when that happens, based on our other COVID-safe measures."
HSC students have been "strongly encouraged" to be fully vaccinated before their exams begin on November 9.
