‘I’m worried’: Bachelor star and teacher Rachael Gouvignon says schools should be closed to stop the spread of coronavirus
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison insisted on Sunday that parents continue to send their children to school.
But on Monday, former Bachelor star Rachael Gouvignon, who is also a teacher, called for all schools to be shut down to limit the spread of coronavirus.
Perth-based Rachael, 35, said the states and territories should follow the example set by Victoria, which shut down schools on Tuesday.
‘I’m worried’: Bachelor star and teacher Rachael Gouvignon (pictured) says schools should be closed to stop the spread of coronavirus
‘As a teacher myself, to keep students 1.5 metres away from each other is almost impossible,’ Rachael wrote on Instagram, referencing the government’s advice on social distancing.
‘The advice from the PM was that schools were not to close because children were not at high risk of contracting COVID-19.’
She then quoted Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy, who said on Monday that there was not yet ‘evidence of major transmission among schools in children’.
But Rachael noted: ‘I’m worried about the safety of myself and the hundreds of people I am in close contact with within the school grounds.’
Sharing her experience: The Perth-based teacher, 35, wrote a post on her Instagram story saying how other states should follow suit with Victoria, which shut down schools on Tuesday
There have been mixed messages from state and federal governments about whether schools should remain open.
Scott Morrison said schools should remain open but Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews shut down schools in his state on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged parents to keep their children at home despite schools in her state remaining open.
‘As a teacher myself, to keep students 1.5 metres away from each other is almost impossible,’ Rachael wrote, referencing social distancing procedures
In Western Australia, where Rachael works as a teacher, schools remain open as of Tuesday.
Rachael is best known for appearing on Richie Strahan’s season of The Bachelor in 2016 and later appearing on Bachelor in Paradise in 2018.
As of Tuesday morning, there are 1,886 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia, including seven deaths.
Pandemic: As of Tuesday morning, there are 1,886 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia, including seven deaths