Covid case shuts major Brisbane high school

Indooroopilly State High School has tested positive for Covid-19, with parents told the school would be shut today for specialist cleaning.

A major Brisbane school will be closed on Friday for specialist cleaning after a student was was diagnosed with Covid-19.

Indooroopilly State High School parents were notified in the early hours of Friday morning via email that the school would be shut for 48 hours following the confirmed case.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the 17-year-old girl who tested positive had been infectious in the community for three days, including two days at school.

She described the case as a “mystery” and said she was “struggling to understand how she’s acquired it.”

In an email, Acting Executive Principal Derek Weeks urged anyone associated with the school who was feeling unwell to consult their GP.

Authorities at Indooroopilly State High School on Friday morning. Picture: Tara Croser

“I am writing to let you know that a person associated with our school community has been diagnosed with COVID-19,” Mr Weeks wrote in the email.

“As a result, our school will be closed effectively immediately 30/07/2021 for 48 hours to allow for Queensland Health to perform this contact tracing and, as an extra precaution, I have arranged for specialist cleaners to come to perform a deep clean in accordance with Queensland Health guidelines.

Indooroopilly State High School has been shut for deep cleaning after a Covid case. Picture: Tara Croser

“I will continue to liaise with the department and we will continue to take the advice from Queensland Health.

“It is important we continue to follow COVID-safe measures including good hygiene, physical distancing and staying at home if unwell. We also must adhere to any Chief Health Officer directions such as wearing face masks.

“If you, or a member of your family, are feeling unwell or displaying symptoms of COVID-19, please consult your GP.”

Phone calls to the school this morning went through to a recorded messaged confirming the school would be closed on Friday.

It is likely to remain a ghost town until next week after Queensland Health asked close contacts of the infected 17-year-old student to isolate, get tested and await contact from Queensland Health.

It defined close contacts as those who were at the school from 8-10am on Tuesday and 8am-3.30pm on Wednesday. The school has 2500 students.

A Covid testing centre is being set up in the school car park and will be open until Tuesday.

A community vaccination hub in Ipswich has also closed for cleaning after the student who tested positive to Covid-19 visited the centre yesterday.

The centre in the Nicholas Street Precinct in Ipswich will remain closed for the remainder of Friday.

The new case comes as the state’s Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young made a desperate plea for Queenslanders to continue wearing masks.

In an open letter published in The Courier-Mail Dr Young warned the state that “Covid-19 is coming”.

“It’s unfortunate but almost inevitable that we will see a rise in Covid-19 cases here in coming months,” she said.

“That’s why I am pleading with Queenslanders to wear masks when they are in public.”

Originally published as Covid case shuts major Brisbane high school