Family tests negative after initially refusing and forcing school staff, students into isolation

A family at the centre of a coronavirus scare at a Gold Coast school has test negative. It comes as a number of "concerning situations" continue to unfold across the state. 

The principal of the Gold Coast school embroiled at the centre of the coronavirus scare has confirmed a family connected to the campus has tested negative to Covid-19.

 

The Australian International Islamic College at Carrara was forced into lockdown and staff, teachers and students were ordered to isolate after two students boasted to classmates that they had travelled to Melbourne with their family.

But news the family has tested negative means the Carrara campus will re-open and there is no need for students and staff to isolate. 

"It is with relief that I inform you that all results for the Gold Coast family who have been the subject of investigation have come back negative," Australian International Islamic College principal Christine Harman wrote to families.

"Having conferenced with Queensland Health they have deemed that there is no risk of exposure at our Carrara campus and the need for students and staff to isolate has been lifted." 

She said Friday was a scheduled student free day and students would be free to return to campus on Monday.

"Again, I would like to thank our College community, and the community at large for the genuine care and compassion they have expressed during this time," Ms Harman wrote.

The family of five, which includes three children under the age of 10, was forced into quarantine and initially refused to undergo Covid testing.

Earlier, chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said the children were showing symptoms but she wasn't sure if it was Covid.

"I desperately hope this family will allow us to test them, it's critical," she said.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said police were alerted after the children revealed to classmates that the family had travelled to Melbourne.

In response to their initial reluctance to get tested, Dr Young said there would be ramifications for the entire school if they did not get tested.

"If the children are not tested, the entire school will need to quarantine for 14 days."

Dr Young said there were a number of "concerning situations" unfolding across Queensland, including a Covid-positive truck driver who continued working for five days on the Gold Coast while infectious. 

"That is concerning, given that it happened over the past five days," she said. 

The truck driver tested positive on August 27 and was active in the community until September 1.

Another truck driver has tested positive in NSW but was in Queensland on Thursday at Goondiwindi and Archerfield. 

"He was here, and we put up a number of exposure sites."

Dr Young asked all those to come forward and get tested if they were there at time of listings. 

She said she was "very worried about these cases" and urged Queenslanders to get vaccinated so the state hit the 80 per cent target.

"We are going to see a spread if enough people are not vaccinated - we will see what is happening in New South Wales and Victoria."

Dr Young said they will "probably" still need to use snap lockdowns and similar methods even if the state hits 70 per cent vaccination rate. 

Earlier, Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said the Australian International Islamic College at Carrara was closed after it appeared a family of five returned to Queensland from Melbourne. 

Ms D'Ath told parliament early indications were the family evaded detection by travelling to the Gold Coast via an inland route.

She said the family was in hotel quarantine but is "refusing to be tested and so far is not cooperating with authorities".

The school has been closed and students sent home. 

"This is a difficult situation," Ms D'Ath said. 

Meanwhile, the principal of a Gold Coast school forced to close due to a Covid-19 scare has described the incident as “unsettling” in a letter to parents.

The Carrara campus of the Australian International Islamic College has closed after a family of five linked to the school ­– which has about 200 students - appeared to have recently returned to Queensland from Melbourne.

Principal Christine Harman told parents she had been working closely with Queensland Health on the emerging situation.

“Our College became aware that members of our Carrara campus community may have returned from a Covid-19 hotspot,” she said.

“Based on our initial inquiries and the early information that we received we were unable to determine whether they had undertaken the mandatory hotel quarantine period of the manner by which they entered the state

“As a result, we immediately took proactive and precautionary steps to safeguard our school community and contacted the appropriate authorities to investigate our concerns.”

Ms Harman went on to “reassure all families” that the school was not currently dealing with a confirmed Covid-19 case, “but rather a potential quarantine or border entry issue”.

Earlier Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk called for the family, which has been forced into quarantine, to "cooperate with authorities".

Ms Palaszczuk warned the situation facing New South Wales and Victoria was "increasingly grim" amid warnings ventilators should be prioritised for people who were likely to survive.  

The Premier revealed the Cairns Convention Centre would become the state's latest mass vaccination hub from September 10 when people could receive their first dose.

She also hit back at widespread criticism from the Opposition and health experts over a call for an investigation into how children would be affected by Covid-19 - declaring it was a "serious issue" which required a serious discussion. 

Ms Palaszczuk called for people to be constructive, "rather than attacking".

Ms Palaszczuk said she wanted a "detailed paper" on the health impacts "that I can read and share with my Cabinet and share with Queenslanders".

"I have asked for more information about unvaccinated children," she said.

"This is a serious issue that needs a serious discussion.

"These are questions that I want answers to. These are questions that Queenslanders want answers to.

"So rather than everyone attacking, let's get the answers and let's have serious discussions.

"That is what needs to happen."

However, health experts have declared children are less likely to be affected by Covid-19 - with Queensland Health insisting there was little evidence of more serious illness among people under 12. 

It is the last sitting day of a week dominated by the government's response to Covid-19. 

Ms Palaszczuk has been accused of scaremongering by political foes and lacking common sense by “appalled” top doctors as she seizes on children's welfare as the reason she still can’t lay out a plan for reopening the state.

The Premier is also expected to provide a Covid-19 update after several exposure sites were listed at Bundamba, Goondiwindi and Archerfield on Wednesday. 

Originally published as Family tests negative after initially refusing and forcing school staff, students into isolation

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