Queensland high school student tests positive to Covid-19

Contact tracers are scrambling to work out how a Brisbane school student acquired the virus after authorities confirmed one local casen

Queensland health authorities are frantically trying to work out how a high school student contracted Covid-19.

The state’s latest community acquired case is a 17-year-old girl, who became ill on Thursday and returned a positive result later that night.

Chief health officer Jeannette Young said it was a concerning development.

Friday 30 July – coronavirus cases in Queensland:

1 new locally acquired case recorded in Queensland overnight.

1 new overseas acquired case, detected in hotel quarantine.#covid19pic.twitter.com/FpsMIO1plm

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) July 29, 2021

“I’m struggling to see how she acquired it,” Dr Young said.

“We do know that we have had 13 incursions of the virus into Queensland over the last six weeks.

“We know that in any particular outbreak, someone can get infected, not have symptoms and then spread the virus to someone else, which is why it’s critically important that we all remain very cautious until the vast majority of people have been able to be vaccinated.”

It’s believed the Indooroopilly State High School student had been infectious and out in the community since July 27.

More than 2000 students attend the high school. Picture: Tara Croser

She had been at school for two of those days.

Queensland Health notified the campus about midnight on Thursday.

A late-night email was sent shortly after to parents, notifying them the school would be closed for 48 hours so deep cleaning could take place and contact tracers could get on top of the spread.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said it was not believed the family, from the Brisbane suburb of Taringa, had been overseas.

“Because this is an unknown, unlinked case at this stage, until we get more information, masks are more important than ever,” she said.

The school will be closed for 48 hours so contact tracers can work out what students had contact with the positive case. Picture: Tara Croser

The results of genomic sequencing are expected on Friday afternoon.

At this stage, it is not known what strain of the virus the student has or whether it is linked to any other outbreaks.

Brisbane residents are being urged to monitor the Queensland Health website as exposure sites are added throughout the day.

The latest case comes a day after authorities extended mask wearing in 11 local government areas, including Brisbane, for another seven days.