FULL LIST: Ipswich schools citing spikes in Covid-19 cases
UPDATED LIST: Many schools across the Ipswich region have alerted parents to Covid-19 cases, as 1149 Queensland children return positive PCR tests in 24 hours.
Ipswich
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Before the first week of the 2022 school year is even over, at least 16 schools from Ipswich and surrounding areas have reportedly confirmed Covid-19 cases on the premises.
This comes after thousands of Queensland children returned positive PCR tests in just 24 hours, up from 280 the previous day.
The state recorded 5977 new Covid-19 cases and 14 deaths on Friday, while Ipswich’s total number of cases climbed past 16,474.
Chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said 1149 school aged children tested positive to Covid-19 overnight, and urged parents to keep symptomatic children home.
“The main lesson from that is that this virus is very widespread. That has been the case for a number of weeks,” he said.
“It’s not a surprise and we’re not unduly concerned about it.
“We just need to see what happens with the trend with children.”
On Thursday, Februay 10, Health Minister Yvette D’Ath urged parents to vaccinate their five to 11-year-old children.
And earlier in the week after 534 children returned positive PCR test results, Ms D’Ath said she did not “envisage that this jump overnight is directly related to school yet”.
Ms D’Ath said it would be up to each school that deals with an outbreak to decide whether students are considered close contacts to each other.
“Those things are determined on a case-by-case basis,” she said.
The following schools from Ipswich and surrounds are believed to have been impacted:
DISTRICT STATE SCHOOL
According to a parent, Amberley District State School has had Covid-19 cases since opening for children of essential workers.
“The first day, there were two to three cases,” a person wrote on The Queensland Times’ Facebook post on Thursday.
“Today (I) received another email that a child in the classroom has Covid-19.”
AUGUSTA STATE SCHOOL
Augusta State School has reportedly been sending daily emails alerting parents of Covid-19 cases since school resumed for children of essential workers two weeks ago.
“They need to stop sending the emails and just get on with life honestly,” a parent commented on a Facebook post by The Queensland Times.
“It’s getting beyond a joke now.”
BELLBIRD PARK STATE SECONDARY COLLEGE
One of Ipswich’s newest schools, Bellbird Park State Secondary College, has recently told parents of a Covid-19 case detected in the school.
No personal details about the person who tested positive for the virus have been made public.
BREMER STATE HIGH SCHOOL
A parent of a Bremer State High School student said the school recently confirmed a positive Covid-19 test result had been returned by someone within the school.
CAMIRA STATE SCHOOL
Camira State School is one of the latest schools to confirm a Covid-19 case, with an email sent to parents on Wednesday.
The infected student is understood to be in Year 3.
FOREST LAKE STATE HIGH SCHOOL
Parents of children at Forest Lake State High School near Ipswich were reportedly made aware of multiple Covid-19 cases via email and a Facebook post.
One mother said the school had sent out alerts of positive test results at least “every second day” since kids returned to school.
GOODNA STATE SCHOOL
One case of Covid-19 was reportedly confirmed at Goodna State School on Tuesday.
A child is understood to be the person infected, though parents have not been told which class they are in.
HARRISTOWN STATE HIGH SCHOOL
A parent of a Harristown State High School student said she had been alerted to five Covid-19 cases at the school since children of essential workers returned weeks ago.
She said she received text messages stating there were cases, but was not provided any information about who had tested positive.
LAIDLEY DISTRICT STATE SCHOOL
A parent of a Laidley District State School student said she was alerted to a confirmed case of Covid-19 within the school.
She said no further details about the identity of the Covid-positive person were released.
In a post shared to Facebook, Laidley District State School principal Craig Pearen stated the school had been taking all appropriate precautions regarding health and hygiene and would continue to act in accordance with Queensland Health advice.
“I am writing to inform you that I was recently notified of a positive test result for Covid-19 in the school,” Mr Pearen wrote.
“We are working closely with the public health authorities and the Department of Education to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff.”
MOGGILL STATE PRIMARY SCHOOL
A parent of a child at Moggill State Primary School said her family had received daily emails since school returned about new Covid-19 cases in classrooms.
WALLOON STATE SCHOOL
Parents of children who attend Walloon State School were alerted to a positive test result for Covid-19 on Tuesday.
School principal Lisa Noonan wrote in a letter that “all appropriate precautions regarding health and hygiene” had been and were continuing to be taken.
WOODCREST STATE COLLEGE
A Covid-19 case was also confirmed at Woodcrest State College on Wednesday.
No specific details about the positive test result were released due to privacy reasons.
WOODLINKS STATE SCHOOL
Collingwood Park school Woodlinks State School reportedly recorded its first Covid-19 case on Tuesday.
A parent of a student at the school said the school was “very quick” with alerting people of the positive test result via email and its Facebook page.
See a full list of schools across South East Queensland that are understood to have been impacted by Covid-19 cases here.
GLENALA STATE HIGH SCHOOL
Glenala State High School at Durack reportedly sent an email to parents warning there had been a Covid positive teenager attend the school.
REDBANK PLAINS STATE SCHOOL
Redbank Plains State School reportedly sent an email to parents to inform them about Covid positive primary school students who attended school.
BUNDAMBA STATE SECOUNDARY COLLEGE
Bundamba State Secondary College reportedly sent emails to parents warning there had been a Covid positive teenager attend the school.
BLAIR STATE SCHOOL
Blair State School at Sadliers Crossing has reportedly had a Covid positive child attend the school during the first week back.
SLIKSTONE SATE SCHOOL
Silkstone State School also reportedly had a Covid positive child attend the school.
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