Seven students at Townsville’s Cathedral School isolated amid coronavirus threat
A third North Queensland school has confirmed students have been placed in mandatory isolation over coronavirus fears.
Townsville
Don't miss out on the headlines from Townsville. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A THIRD Townsville school has confirmed students have been placed in mandatory isolation over coronavirus fears.
Seven international boarding students, all from mainland China and Hong Kong, at Townsville’s Cathedral School have been placed in mandatory isolation.
The students were placed in precautionary isolation in accordance with the instructions of Queensland Health following the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus.
The students had spent the first two weeks of the school year in isolation but it is anticipated they will return to classes this week.
The six boys and one girl all presented to school in good health and received twice-daily health checks undertaken by Cathedral School.
“It is great to see all the students returning to school today with a clean bill of health,” Cathedral School principal Ian Gamack said.
“These young people have shown great resilience.”
Face-to-face visitations during the two-week isolation period have been restricted, with visitors needing to wear the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment.
Students remained in contact with teachers and continued their classroom work with aid from online technology, emails and texts.
The school’s kitchen staff prepared and packed special meals which were delivered to the students’ rooms along with any other “creature comforts”.
“The students have requested a number of things while in isolation including pens and paper, but by far the most popular request I have received is for 2-minute noodles,” Mr Gamack said.
The mandatory isolation period also impacted a number of day students at Cathedral School. These students who returned from travelling to mainland China or Hong Kong within 14-days of school commencing were isolated at home with their families.
Townsville Grammar School and Blackheath and Thornburgh College in Charters Towers also isolated students due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Sixteen Townsville Grammar School students are reportedly in isolation due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The students from Hong Kong and China recently travelled home and have been isolated and are receiving daily medical checks.
The Queensland Department of Education warned schools and parents before school returned that students who had returned from mainland China or Hong Kong should not return to school for 14 days, or self-isolate for the same period.
Originally published as Seven students at Townsville’s Cathedral School isolated amid coronavirus threat