Qld’s schools recording 1,400 cases a day

Almost 30,000 Queensland school-aged children, aged between five and 17, have contracted Covid in less than a month as the state records a slow uptake in vaccinations. It comes as schools and suburbs with some of the worst case clusters are named. FULL LIST

More than 1,400 school-aged children have contracted Covid-19 almost every day with up to 30,000 in total over a 20 day period.

Between 10 February and 1 March, there were 29,129 school aged children, aged between five and seventeen who contracted the virus.

Over the period, February 23 was the worst – recording 2,223 cases in a single day. The lowest number was 411 recorded on February 10.

A total of 90,163 people aged 0 to 19 have contracted Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.

A school student wears a surgical mask as he arrives for the first day of face-to-face schooling in Brisbane. (AAP Image/Dan Peled)

Vaccine rates for children aged five to 11 were at 40.41 per cent vaccinated with their first dose on February 10, which had increased to 42.57 per cent by March 1.

It comes after the school year was delayed from January 24 to February 7 to avoid students congregating while the Omicron variant was expected to peak.

Since the beginning of the school year, Covid cases have been recorded in schools across the state, including Caboolture State School, Forest Lake State High School and Marist College Emerald.

Throughout the pandemic, chief health officer Dr John Gerrard has described the virus as a mild respiratory illness in children.

“The biggest risk is not to the children themselves, it’s the people around them, to their parents and their grandparents,” he said.

Students from the South Brisbane area leaving school for the day. Photo: Sarah Marshall

Last week Dr Gerrard said the number of school aged children with the virus had been “fairly stable” and sitting around that number for around two weeks.

A Department of Education spokeswoman said ongoing cases throughout Queensland schools were expected.

“COVID-19 is circulating in the Queensland community,” she said.

“As outlined in our comprehensive Back to School plan, schools will provide communication to staff and families that there is COVID-19 present in the school and remind people to monitor their symptoms and stay home if they are feeling unwell.”

She said the department considered the health and wellbeing of students and staff its highest priority.

It comes as 4,397 new cases were recorded in Queensland on Tuesday.

Since the pandemic began there has been 603,264 cases of Covid-19 in Queensland among children and adults.

Health department data analysed by the Courier-Mail shows Redbank Plains has had the most cases in the Omicron outbreak, recording 2659 cases since December 13.

Upper Coomera – North has recorded 1907 cases in the same period while Coomera had 1902.

North of Brisbane, Maroochydore to Kuluin has seen 1724 cases and 1596 from Murrumba Downs to Griffin.

There were only 14 suburbs in Queensland that were yet to record any cases of Covid-19.

THE SCHOOLS IMPACTED BY COVID:

Bribie Island State High School

Morayfield State School

Morayfield East State School

Caboolture East State School Prep B class

Morayfield East High School

Caboolture State School

Caboolture State High School three cases

Tullawong State School

Elimbah State School

Wamuran State School

Moreton Downs State School

Deception Bay State High School

Narangba Valley State School

Pacific Pines State High School

Narangba Valley State High School

Redcliffe State School

Bay Herald State School

Redcliffe State High School

Norris Road Primary School

Tullawong Primary School

Kilcoy State High School

Elimbah Primary School 4B

Nambour State College

The Gap State High School

Ascot State Primary School

Nashville State Primary School

St Columbans Caboolture

Pine Rivers State High School

Aspley State High School

Morayfield State High School

Mango Hill State School

Mango Hill State Secondary School

Cleveland District State High

Marsden State High

Rochedale South State School

Kimberley Park State School

Victoria Point State School

Ormiston State School on day one

Capalaba State College

Wellington Point High School

Crestmead State School

Park Ridge Primary School

Windaroo Valley High School

Waterford State School

Beaudesert State High School

Beaudesert State School

Mansfield State Primary School

Flagstone State School

Kingston State School

Woodridge North State School

Eagleby South State School

Springfield Central State School

Runcorn State High School

Loganlea State High School

Boronia Heights State Primary School

Rochedale State High School

Sunnybank State Primary School

Macgregor State Primary School

Macgregor State High School

Yugumbir State Primary School

Browns Plains State Primary School

Algester State Primary School

Thornlands State Primary School

Morningside State Primary School

Balmoral State High School

Victoria Point State Primary School

Vienna Woods State Primary School

Augusta State School

Bellbird Park State Secondary College

Bremer State High School

Camira State School

Forest Lake State High School

Goodna State School

Harristown State High School

Laidley District State School

Moggill State Primary School

Walloon State School

Woodcrest State College

Woodlinks State School

Kingaroy State High School

Sunshine Coast Grammar

Marist College in Emerald

North Rockhampton State High School

Rockhampton Special School

Parkhurst State School

Rockhampton’s Emmaus College

Toolooa State High School in Gladstone

Mackay Northern Beaches State High School