Boarding students isolated during coronavirus outbreak

Parents this morning were urged to keep their children home from school if they have travelled China recently, as elite boarding schools ramp up isolation of their students.

AT least twelve Queensland schools have quarantined boarding students as they ramp up isolation in the wake of a school ban on anyone who has travelled to China.

It comes after the State Government yesterday urged anyone who had travelled to any part of China or Hong Kong to not attend early child care centres, schools or TAFEs for 14 days after leaving to prevent spreading the deadly Coronavirus.

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Ipswich Girls Grammar School has isolated 18 students in one wing of the boarding house with the school providing meals in segregation, classes via technology in real-time and exercise equipment in the area.

A spokeswoman said conscious about students’ mental health and wellbeing had consulted health authorities and students are able to go outside at certain times when other students are not present.

Brisbane’s St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School has 16 students in isolation in a separate area of the school which has “all the necessary facilities, rooms bathrooms and kitchens” a spokeswoman said.

“All these students have been monitored by the health centre since their arrival and none are showing any symptoms of being unwell,” a spokeswoman said.

At Daisy Hill’s John Paul College, eight male students have been moved to one villa in the boarding village until 14 days has passed from when they returned from China.

“A number of other students who live in homestay or with their own families have followed the College advice to stay at home, once again, until the 14 days since they were in China or Hong Kong, has passed,” Ms Spiller said.

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Three students are in isolation at Nudgee College, 7 students in isolation at Rockhampton Grammar School and another 7 at Toowoomba Grammar School.

Boarding students at Marist College Ashgrove, Brisbane Grammar School, Somerville House, Brisbane Boys’ College and Clayfield College have also been isolated within boarding houses at the school, or they are staying with family and friends.

Toowong’s Stuartholme School has ten international students in isolation on the top floor of their boarding house, two of which had to be retrieved from a year 12 retreat on Wednesday night when the advice to schools changed.

It comes after a 44-year-old man was the first person in Queensland to have a confirmed case of Coronavirus.

Emergency personnel are seen in full hazmat gear entering Peppers hotel on the Gold Coast. Photo: MEGA TheMegaAgency.com

Today Queensland state schools were alerting parents and school communities to the updated advice after being updated by the Department of Education’s Director General Tony Cook on Wednesday.

The department has also been updating the Independent Schools Queensland Network and the Queensland Catholic Education Comission on the latest advice.

West End State School issued a statement to the school community reiterating the advice from Queensland Health.

However, Principal Kim McNamara also included internal plans the school will follow including what they will do if a student falls ill at school.

“Any student showing virus / flu-like symptoms will go to the office and be isolated until they are collected. Their parent or carer will be urgently notified,” the letter to parents said.

Independent Schools Queensland has shared with its member schools the latest advice from health authorities regarding the management of the novel coronavirus.

“This is an evolving situation that independent schools have been monitoring and responding to information by health advice and in the context of the specific circumstances of their communities,” he said.

“ISQ will continue to keep its member schools appraised of any new developments.”

The Courier-Mail understands Brisbane parents are angered by the situation, saying that they’re frustrated governments chose to escalate this after the first few days of school starting.

Parents have been contacting schools venting their frustration, a source said.