Childcare Centre in Australia Closed After Child Tests Positive for COVID-19

Children wave their hands at a private nursery school. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Queensland Health has temporarily closed a childcare centre after a child tested positive for the CCP virus, commonly known as the coronavirus.

The Department of Health sent a letter to the parents of the affected childcare center, Early Birds, in the Brisbane suburb of Jimboomba on April 11.

Queensland Health told parents that a child attended the centre four times while unknowingly being a carrier of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. The child has since tested positive for COVID-19.

It is not clear when the childcare centre will reopen.

A spokesperson for the department told The Epoch Times that they cannot comment on individual cases due to patient confidentiality. But they did say that anyone identified as a close contact of the case was notified to quarantine for 14 days.

Queensland Health said it will issue a public health alert to provide more details if needed.

Close contacts of confirmed cases, who develop symptoms, are instructed to call a doctor and tell them about their symptoms and exposure immediately.

Queensland Health recommends people wash their hands regularly, stay at home, and practice safe distancing as much as possible.

On April 13, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk reported 35 new cases of the CCP virus over Easter.

The current statistics for Queensland are 998 cases, 442 recoveries, and 5 deaths, with 72,313 people tested across the state.

Brisbane’s northern and southern metropolitan areas have recorded the highest number of virus cases in the state.

Back to School

The case at Early Birds comes as the premier and her minister for education announced on April 13 that when Term 2 starts on April 20, schools will only be open to children of essential workers and vulnerable children. The rest will learn from home.

This arrangement will last for the first five weeks of term, or until at least May 22.

Queensland schools will provide computers and devices to students who don’t have them and want to learn from home. Telstra will chip in and provide 5,000 SIM cards to stay-at-home students who don’t have internet access. Paper resources will be sent to students who live in areas without internet access.

“We’re going to ensure as much as we can that students have the availability to have devices either from schools or to be able to have them lent or borrowed to them,” Minister for Education Grace Grace said on April 13.

“Parents, of course, have a new role and we know it’s not going to be easy,” she said.

Staff at schools and childcare centres are now on the list of those who can be tested for COVID-19.

Despite the positive case at the childcare centre, Palaszczuk said that based on the advice of the chief health officer, it remains safe for staff to return to work and students to attend school across Queensland.