Hervey Bay, Maryborough Covid: 51 new cases recorded overnight

Covid cases across the Fraser Coast region have continued to rise as students prepare to return to school following a two-week delay. SEE THE LATEST SUBURB BY SUBURB BREAKDOWN:

Covid case numbers across the Fraser Coast have nearly topped 2400 following the discovery of more infections overnight as the virus continues to spread across the region.

Another 51 new cases were confirmed overnight, bringing the total from the pandemic to 2386.

Three people have been confirmed to have died from the virus in the Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service; Queensland Health has not revealed whether any of these deaths occurred on the Fraser Coast.

The increasing case numbers come ahead of the region’s school students’ expected return to classrooms following a two-week delay mandated by the State Government.

Public servants will return to workplaces from next week too, in keeping with the back-to-school plans.

“We want to see people coming back in a way that they can contribute to the economy,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said on Tuesday.

“We’re just going through this peak in Brisbane and parts of the southeast, but there’s still no reason why you can’t support local businesses.”

The plan to bring students safely back to classrooms from Monday was unveiled and includes mandatory masks for teachers and high school students.

Students in Years 3 to 6 are “strongly encouraged” to wear them.

There has now been 2386 Covid cases recorded across the Fraser Coast since the start of December 2021.

Visitors to school grounds will be limited and all large gatherings including excursions, school camps, and assemblies will be suspended for the first four weeks of the term.

More than 750,000 rapid antigen tests will be put aside for staff and students at both schools and testing clinics over the next month; testing will only be needed for people displaying symptoms.

Unvaccinated parents will still be allowed on the grounds and children would not require mandatory vaccinations, though it is being encouraged.

Anglicare children and parenting program service co-ordinator Justine Penny said children’s concerns stretched beyond catching the virus but also “missing the social aspect of school, particularly seeing their friends”.

“The people who were affected with the most amount of change at the start of 2020 were the children as they didn’t go to school,” Ms Penny said.

“ They learnt from home, after school activities were cancelled, sports, music, dance were all stopped. Bigger events such as sports days, school productions, awards ceremonies and school camps were also cancelled.

“In the younger grades stationery such as pencils, erasers, scissors, glue sticks and pencil crayons are shared in the classroom,” she said.

“We discussed with parents how their children could take a pencil case with items named and only they would be allowed to use it to minimise the risk.

“Parents can take proactive steps before school starts by educating your children, without scaring them, with age-appropriate information around masks, hand washing and hand sanitising and also around not sharing things such as hats, food and drink bottles.”

Fraser Coast cases by suburb

Pialba/Eli Waters – 421

Tinana – 97

Torquay/Scarness/Kawungan – 422

Craignish/Dundowran Beach – 125

Urangan/Wondunna – 401

Booral/River Heads – 153

Burrum/Fraser – 194

Point Vernon – 139

Maryborough – 311

Maryborough region south – 74

Granville – 42