Boarders Win Border Approval

Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young

September 8, 2020

Queensland boarding school students who live in either NSW or the ACT have won the right to go home for the Christmas holidays, but it comes with strict conditions.

A letter from Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young to the Director-General of Education Tony Cook on Saturday grants approval for Prep to Year 12 boarding school students with a primary place of residence in NSW or the ACT – and their parents or guardians – to become “an exempt class of persons” under Queensland’s tight border restrictions.

This means the students will not have to go into quarantine when they return to Queensland after the holidays.

And their parents or guardians will not be required to quarantine if their sole purpose is to convey the students to and from school.

However, the exemption only applies to residents of local government areas which have no active cases of COVID-19.

Parents or guardians can enter Queensland by road to collect the students but must return on the same day. Travel in both directions must also be by the most direct route possible.

The same rules will apply when the students are returned to school.

The approval letter contains a list of documents that students and parents / guardians must carry while travelling.

The students face strict rules while they are away from Queensland if they want to avoid quarantine upon their return.

They must not leave the boundary of their primary place of residence for the entire time they are away.

No visitors are allowed at the residence while the student is present (except for people who are essential for the operations of the residence).

Students who travel by air rather than by road are not exempt, and will be subject to the usual quarantine requirements when they return to Queensland.

Students and their parents / guardians will also not be allowed back into Queensland if during the 14 days prior to their arrival they have been overseas, have had COVID-19 or had close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19.

The approval is an about-face by health authorities after an earlier application by the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association (ICPA) to allow boarders from northern NSW to return home for the school holidays was refused.

Dr Young met with ICPA representatives on August 27.

At the time, ICPA Queensland president Tammie Irons said the refusal meant children who live outside the “border bubble” wouldn’t be able to go home for the holidays.

“At this point those children will not be allowed to come back to their boarding schools unless they have been quarantined for two weeks. So that’s quite devastating for those families and is going to lead to them having to make a lot of decisions in the next couple of weeks about what boarding school holidays are going to look like for them,” she said.

External link: Dr Young’s Letter (Goondiwindi Regional Council website)

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Contact Tracing Alerts

Queensland Health released an updated list on Tuesday afternoon.

Anyone who has been to any of these locations at these times should monitor their health and, if they develop even the mildest of COVID-19 symptoms, get tested.

25 August – Logan Motorway BP Centre & McDonald’s, Larapinta – 6:40am-6:45am
25 August – Logan Motorway BP Centre & McDonald’s, Larapinta – 4:20pm-4:30pm
26 August – Coomera Westfield, Coomera Town Centre – 9:30am-10:25am
26 August – Woolworths, Pimpama Junction – 10:40am-10:50am
26 August – Kmart, Oxenford – 11:00am-11:10am
26 August – Bunnings, Oxenford – 11:20am-11:50am
26 August – Woolworths, Pimpama Junction – noon to 12:15pm
26 August – Zazar’s Kebabs, Pimpama – 12:15pm-12:25pm
26 August – Madhouse Discount Variety, Waterford Plaza, Waterford West – 1:50pm-2:15pm
26 August – Hyperdome Shopping Centre, Loganholme – 3:15pm-5:45pm
26 August – Best & Less, Logan Hyperdome – 3:15pm-4:05pm
26 August – KMart, Logan Hyperdome – 4:05pm-4:30pm
26 August – The Reject Shop, Logan Hyperdome – 4:35pm-4:55pm
26 August – Foot Locker, Logan Hyperdome – 5:00pm-5:30pm
26 August – Platypus Shoes, Logan Hyperdome – 5:00pm-5:30pm
26 August – Logan Motorway BP Centre & McDonald’s, Larapinta – 5:45pm-5:50pm
26 August – Gold Coast University Hospital fever clinic, Southport – 7:00pm-7:20pm
26 August – Pub Lane Tavern, Greenbank Shopping Centre – 7:30pm-9:30pm
27 August – Princess Alexandra Hospital fever clinic, Woolloongabba – 12:40pm-12:55pm
27 August – PriceLine Pharmacy, Forest Lake – 9:00am-9:10am
27 August – Coles, Forest Lake Shopping Centre – 9:15am-9:30am
27 August – Pizza Hut, Beenleigh – 4:30pm-4:35pm
27 August – TSG Tobacconist, Eagleby – 4:50pm-5:00pm
29 August – Johnny Furniture, Booval – 9:30am-10:00am
29 August – Spotlight, West Ipswich – 10:00am-10:20am
29 August – Fantastic Furniture, West Ipswich – 11:00am-11:10am
29 August – Spa Choice, Pacific Highway, Springwood – 10:30am-11:00am
29 August – Spa World, Compton Road, Underwood – 11:00am-11:30am
29 August – Dosa Hut, Springfield – 11:55am-noon
29 August – Indian Spice Shop, Springfield – noon-12:05pm
30 August – IKEA, Logan and Springwood – 9:45am-10:15am
30 August – Crossacres Garden Centre, Doolandella – noon-12:15pm
30 August – Woolworths, Yamanto – noon-12:20pm
30 August – Domino’s, Yamanto – 11:45am-12;30pm
31 August – Woolworths, Yamanto – 11:00am-11:15am
31 August – Country Market, Yamanto – 11:20am-11:40am
31 August – Priceline, Yamanto – 11:40am-11:45am
1 September – Canaipa Nursery and Tea Centre, Russell Island – noon-12:30pm
1 September – SupaIGA supermarket, Russell Island – 12:40pm-12:50pm
1 September – Passenger ferry, Russell Island to Redland Bay – 1:30pm-2:10pm
1 September – Passenger ferry, Redland Bay to Russell Island – 4:00pm-4:30pm
2 September – Russell Island Pharmacy – morning
3 September – SupaIGA supermarket, Russell Island – noon-2:00pm
4 September – SupaIGA supermarket, Russell Island – 8:00am-8:30am
4 September – Coles, Karalee – 9:30am-10:15am
4 September – Ipswich Garden Centre, Raceview – 12:30pm-1:30pm