Queensland Health says ‘localised’ lockdowns as borders open Covid circulates at 90 per cent vax rate, parents expected to home school

Lockdowns aren’t over yet authorities have warned, as Queensland parents are told to expect home schooling to extend into 2022. FULL DETAILS

Parents have been told to expect school lockdowns next year and prepare for their child to learn from home.

A newsletter sent to parents by one state primary school says the lockdowns “could be with little notice” once borders open and Covid begins circulating in the community.

“This may have localised impacts, with entire school communities placed into lockdowns and isolation should positive cases be identified within the school,” says the letter.

“As these lockdowns could be with little notice, we will also be providing a folder with a few essentials to each student …”

The news has stunned parents, who expected freedoms to return once the state edged past the 80 per cent vaccination threshold – and beyond – and contradicts the Covid bible Doherty Institute modelling, which says “allowing ongoing school attendance for class contacts of a case … achieves equivalent outbreak containment to home quarantine”.

Children in Melbourne, Olivia 7, Annalise 9 and George 5, had to learn from month for months and were well and truly sick of it. Picture Rebecca Michael.

Previous lockdowns have caused widespread disruptions throughout the community, including crippling the Gold Coast’s small business economy, decimating tourism and leaving the burden of schooling to parents, many whom work full-time.

Queensland Health (QH) was asked how many Covid cases would enforce a school lockdown, and for how long.

A QH spokesman said: “Queenslanders will be better protected from Covid-19 when we exceed our vaccination rate milestones, but there may still be a need to continue certain public health measures to protect the community. The nature of these measures will be determined by the risk profile of outbreaks at the time.”

Queensland’s Covid-19 Vaccine Plan To Unite Families says the lockdown policy was “in line with the National Plan” and “any lockdowns will be highly targeted”.

An example of year 1/2 home school learning during lockdown. Picture: Supplied

“Areas with lower vaccination rates will be more likely to require public health restrictions and lockdowns.”

Under the plans frequently asked questions section it says once “high vaccination rates are achieved, very little restrictions are required.”

Bulletin requests for vaccination standings for each city postcode have repeatedly been denied.

Locking down schools and certain local government areas appears to be exactly the opposite of what the Doherty Institute modelling recommended to the National Cabinet in its final report dated November 5.

“ … Stay-at-home orders will not necessarily mitigate importation and outbreak risks in many LGAs that would be anticipated to have higher-than-average ongoing risks of transmission, even with high 12-plus vaccine coverage”.

Stuck at home during Covid lockdowns, Cristina and Jaylin Greenhill had to learn at home. Photo: St Mary's Catholic College

“ … Allowing ongoing school attendance for class contacts of a case through a ‘test to stay’ strategy achieves equivalent outbreak containment to home quarantine and enables face-to-face learning.

“Daily rapid antigen testing of contacts, with exclusion only if positive, is as effective for outbreak prevention as 14-day contact quarantine and dramatically reduces days of missed face-to-face learning,” says the report.

One parent told the Bulletin the timeline was “confusing” and made it difficult to plan.

“Quite frankly, I’m shocked and annoyed,” the mother of two said. “I remember the Premier standing up and saying lockdowns were only needed when vaccination rates were low, but now we’re told there’s a high chance we’ll be home schooling our kids in 2022.”

Jenny Johnson helped her daughter Robyn de Beer home schooled her children Lexie-Rose and Hollie during lockdowns on the Gold Coast in 2021. Picture: Jerad Williams

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said all Queensland state schools had contingency plans in place and were “well prepared for disruptions that can arise throughout the Covid-19 pandemic”.

“Principals and their school teams plan for these scenarios and deliver programs that best meet the needs of their school communities, working with families to ensure every student can access learning materials, such as through loan devices or delivering materials to homes,” he said.

“The department will continue to follow advice from Queensland’s chief health officer and Queensland Health to help manage the impacts of Covid-19 on students, staff and their families.”

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