Schools and universities in Bendigo are monitoring advice from health and education departments in relation to the novel coronavirus.
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An outbreak of the virus occurred in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, late last year and has since infected 2700 people including four confirmed cases in Australia.
Bendigo Senior Secondary principal Dale Pearce said a number of the school's students and staff are from China but there was no reason to believe they had come into contact with the virus.
"We have around 20 international students from China who come here to complete their VCE and a number of Chinese staff here and at other (Bendigo) schools - the Chinese language is taught in just about every government primary school and most secondary schools in Bendigo.
"None of our students or staff come from the Wuhan area. A majority of them do (visit home) and a number of students been back for some time. Our classes don't commence until (next) Monday, so they will have been back in Australia for some time before classes commence.
"We're not excluding our students and there is no reason to believe anyone come in contact with anyone who has the virus. None of staff students exhibiting any symptoms. We will monitor it and take appropriate steps when and if we need to."
Mr Pearce said BSSC has sent information to host families, staff and parents regarding the coronavirus.
"What we have been doing is taking advice of the education department and the health authorities around monitoring and issuing advice," he said.
"We have sent information to home-stay families and also to staff and our parents, providing them with normal levels of advice and are asking anyone who is concerned to contact us."
Girton Grammar School contacted parents on Thursday asking them to keep children home if they have travelled to China in recent weeks. They are confident no students or staff have visited China recently.
"We have asked parents to contact the school if they have been in China recently so that a discussion can ensue with the relevant families if indeed, any Girton families have recently travelled to China," a spokesperson said.
"In the meantime, the school intends to operate according to the current advice outlined by the World Health Organisation, Department of Health and the Federal Department of Health. We will continue to monitor advice from relevant authorities."
La Trobe University has taken steps at its campuses to support the safety and wellbeing of students.
"We have taken the decision to temporarily suspend all travel to China," the university said in a statement. "We also suggest that all students and staff returning from China remain at their home or hall of residence for 14 days and follow the health advice of the Department of Health.
"This also applies to anyone who has been in contact with someone confirmed to have the novel coronavirus.
"We are communicating regularly with our staff and student communities as the situation develops."
Mr Pearce said a educational department trip to China would likely be cancelled.
"We had some staff planning on taking part in an education department trip to China that was to occur in late March," he said. "We are waiting on advice from that but my guess is that it is likely it won't go ahead.
"There are no student trips to China planned and no exchanges or visiting groups planned."
A Department of Health spokes person said one case of coronavirus had been confirmed in Victoria.
Mr Pearce said he hoped the situation would improve in China.
"Some (staff and students) have family back in China and there is great deal of concern," he said.
"In most parts of the country, large numbers of people are taking a great deal of precautions
"The amount of travel and exchange between countries means the capacity of anything spreading is greater than it would have been 10 or 20 years ago.
"You have got to go back some time, to when SARS (warnings) were issued (in 2003), for a parallel."