Bundaberg schools rife with Covid cases in first week of school year

19 schools from Bundaberg and surrounding areas have now alerted parents to Covid-19 cases, as 231 Queensland children return positive PCR tests in 24 hours. SEE THE LIST

The number of Bundaberg region schools impacted by Covid now that school is back in blew out to almost 20 on Friday.

Additional schools continued to confirm Covid-19 cases on the premises before the first week of the 2022 school year was over.

Anxious Bundaberg parents leaked letters online from school principals advising Covid cases were detected on school grounds.

Norville State School, Kalkie State School, Thabeban State School, Bundaberg North State School and Bundaberg North High School all confirmed one positive case on Friday via letter to parents.

Meanwhile, Shalom College and St Luke’s Anglican College all confirmed several cases.

Earlier in the week, Bundaberg Christian College, St Joseph’s School and Bundaberg West State School detected more than one case, while Alloway State School, Bundaberg High School, Avoca State School, Oakwood State School, Walkervale State School, St Johns Lutheran Primary School, St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Rosedale State School and Woongarra State School all confirmed at least one Covid case each via letter to parents.

Bundaberg Christian College principal Paul Thompson confirmed all the cases detected were in the Year 1 cohort.

“Dear parents and caregivers, I write to advise you that we have had confirmed cases of Covid-19 detected within the student body,” the update said.

Bundaberg Christian College has revealed Covid cases were detected in the Year 1 cohort.

Bundaberg West State School principal Leanne McNamara sent a letter to parents on Tuesday advising them that “positive Covid cases have been detected in our school”.

Woongarra State School principal Jeff Irwin confirmed a case via letter to parents on Wednesday, asking parents to monitor their children for symptoms and to keep their child at home if they were feeling unwell.

Woongarra State School principal Jeff Irwin confirmed a case via letter to parents on Wednesday.

Walkervale State School principal Ken Peacock, Alloway State School principal Ben Spargo and Rosedale State School principal Craig Martin shared very similar letters, reminding parents to monitor their child.

Alloway State School principal Ben Spargo sent this letter to parents on Thursday.

Walkervale State School principal Ken Peacock confirmed a case at that school on Wednesday.

“If your child is unwell, please take them to a Queensland Health testing clinic where they will be prioritised for a free rapid antigen test,” Mr Peacock said.

Bundaberg State High School principal Chris Gill also confirmed a case at his school, telling parents they had implemented “a range of strategies to support the safety and wellbeing of students, staff and visitors”.

“If students become symptomatic while at school, you will be contacted to collect them. You will also be provided with a free rapid antigen test to administer at home,” Mr Gill said.

Bundaberg State High School principal confirmed a positive Covid case had been detected at the school on Wednesday.

Oakwood State School also confirmed a case, saying that the school has been taking all appropriate precautions regarding healthy and hygiene.

“The person was last on school site Friday, 4 February,” the letter read.

“We will continue to act in accordance with the advice of Queensland Health.”

Sharon State School’s Year 4 cohort and Branyan Road State School has reportedly been affected, however, it has not yet been confirmed by the school.

According to the ‘Schools & Daycares In Bundaberg with Positive Covid-19 Cases’ Facebook group, kindergartens and childcare centres in the region have also confirmed several cases each, including East Side Little Learners, Good Start on Takalvan Street, Coral Cove Early Learning Centre, YMCA Childcare and C&K Walker Street.

There are more than 2400 covid cases in the Bundaberg region to-date.

A Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service Facebook post said the TAFE Bundaberg campus continued to administer vaccines.

“Our clinics are offering first and second doses, booster doses for those eligible to receive one, and first doses to those aged 5-11 (children must have their parent or legal guardian present),” the post read.

“Our clinics stock the Pfizer vaccine only.”