Thank you to those families who attended the Grammar Schools Webinar with BGGS Principal, Ms Jacinda Euler, BGS Headmaster, Mr Anthony Micallef, and Queensland Health representatives on Tuesday 10 August 2021. On this page you will find a recording of the webinar, and answers to questions asked during the session.
With people still testing positive on Day 12, is the School walk-in testing still good to go given a chance of some positive cases?
From Queensland Health: Whilst drive-through sites for close contacts are recommended, all testing sites are established to ensure physical distancing can be undertaken whilst waiting and being tested. Please feel free to use the most convenient suitable test centre.
How are the Schools going to ensure that everyone has completed the exit test and received a negative result before school commences on Monday?
From Queensland Health: Queensland Health monitors all COVID-19 test results and can reconcile lists of primary close contacts against test results. Where it is identified that a primary close contact is approaching the end of quarantine and has not recorded a negative result—a reminder to get tested will be provided. Should you get a reminder, but you have had a test, or you have been informed you don’t need a test, please contact Queensland Health to discuss so that records can be amended.
What remote learning arrangements will be made for students who are unable to return to school after this week because of quarantine requirements?
The School will support any girls who are not able to return to School next week due to mandatory home quarantine. If your daughter needs to remain in quarantine, please contact her Head of House to advise.
Are Drama students expected to wear masks during performance work rehearsals and assessment?
While current Queensland Health mask-wearing restrictions are in place, girls will always need to wear masks, except when eating or drinking.
When school reopens next week and there is a case of COVID-19 at school, do parents need to quarantine for two weeks again?
From Queensland Health: The emergence of the Delta variant of COVID-19 has meant that Queensland has adopted the identification of secondary contacts. This is a response to the highly infectious nature of this variant. This approach is likely to be maintained for as long as the predominant variant is the delta variant.
Do students have to wear masks for Sport?
While current Queensland Health mask-wearing restrictions are in place, students will need to wear masks while participating in school-based sport.
Will students need evidence of a Day 12 negative COVID test. If so, what is the document/other evidence that may be necessary?
No. Queensland Health will manage this process.
Are the kids (with two negative results) going back to school on Monday? Would both schools consider having one more week of remote learning just in case?
At this stage, BGGS students will return to classroom-based learning next week. The School will support any students who remain in mandatory home quarantine.
Will choir and wind instruments rehearsals be cancelled?
The School will advise families of specific adjustments to co-curricular activities.
Should mass gatherings, such as Mother’s Spring Luncheon, be postponed?
BGGS will advise families of any changes to upcoming events, including the Mothers Spring Luncheon, this week.
What will happen with tuckshop lines?
BGGS will adhere to Queensland Health restrictions as they apply to all school activities, including when students are at tuckshop.
Are we going to be notified prior to children going back on Monday whether all mandatory testing has been complied with by all members of the community who are allowed on campus?
Queensland Health will manage this in consultation with both schools.
Will there be a NO Result NO Return to school policy?
Students who have been in mandatory home quarantine cannot return to school without a negative exit test (Day 12 testing).
When do you think it will be possible for activities like camps to proceed?
This will depend on Queensland Government restrictions. BGGS will continue to monitor, and adjust plans accordingly based on these restrictions.
Has any thought been given to school pickup zones for both boys and girls schools?
Students will need to adhere to current restrictions while using the pick-up/drop-off zone.
In terms of personal protective behaviours, will students be taught how to wear masks safely?
This factsheet provides information for students on how to wear a face mask safely. The School will make such resources available to students.
Are cloth masks okay or will you require surgical masks?
According to Queensland Health, the best face mask is a single-use surgical mask. However, students can wear paper or fabric masks to school.
Will clean masks be available at school each day?
Masks will be available for students if required throughout the day. We ask families to ensure their daughter wears an appropriate mask to school.
Can Learner Drivers drive into pick up zone and parent change over to drive?
Yes, this is permitted.
How are we looking after children with cystic acne? Masks will be causing them physical pain in masks.
We recommend you speak to your primary health care provider (GP) about this specific issue. Of course, your daughter is welcome to seek advice from Health Centre staff.
I understand QGSSA competition sport is on hold, but will co-curricular sport training start back next week?
BGGS will advise families about co-curricular changes once this information is finalised.
Many students have been noted to be symptomatic but still attending school. Will there be better policing of this by school authorities? And asking to see a negative test prior to them returning?
Queensland Health will verify that students in mandatory home quarantine obtain an exit test. Parents are asked to ensure their daughter does not attend school if she is unwell with COVID-like symptoms. If a student becomes unwell while at school, she will be asked to attend the Health Centre.
Have you had the opportunity to consider the upcoming Gala concert?
The Gala Concert has been postponed. A new date will be communicated with families in due course.
What’s happening with the School Formals?
The School will update families about the formal in due course, when we understand what restrictions will apply at that time.
Will there be temperature check on students as they enter the school?
BGGS will not temperature check students on arrival to school. If a student is unwell, she will be asked to attend the Health Centre.
Will the BGGS 2022 Year 7 Parent and Daughter Dinner (initially scheduled on 31 August) be cancelled?
BGGS will communicate with Year 7 2022 families this week about the Parent and Daughter Dinner.
Will the School have a reserve supply of masks for lost and forgotten masks like state schools?
BGGS will have masks available if students require them.
Would the school consider to make up the two days the students lost during the lockdown?
The two independent learning days, which gave our families the flexibility necessary to complete COVID testing, will not be ‘made up’ for with additional school days.
If we have two negative tests (Day 1 and then a week later) and no symptoms, why is the directive to stay in iso until Friday?
From Queensland Health: The requirement for close contacts, and their secondary contacts is for a full 14 days of quarantine. You cannot be considered as completing your quarantine period until:
• You have had a Day 12 test (this can be on Day 12 or later) and that test has been reported as negative; and
• You have completed 14 days of quarantine: and
• You do not have any symptoms of COVID-19 since your Day 12 test.
Aren’t they required legally to provide a directive to an individual for quarantine?
From Queensland Health: Any form of verbal or written direction to quarantine is a valid direction. The volume of close and secondary contacts associated with this outbreak has required innovative methods of providing direction to quarantine.
If a family didn’t have a test at the start of quarantine are, they okay to just have the exit test to exit quarantine?
From Queensland Health: Testing on entry into quarantine is highly recommended. This allows for maximum early identification of cases. If you missed your entry test, it is acceptable to just do your exit (Day 12) test at this time.
How has 11:59pm Friday been determined as the end of quarantine for families?
From Queensland Health: A person who is informed that they are a close contact must quarantine until the end of Day 14 after the day on which the person last had close contact (reference is the Management of Close Contacts Direction).
The date of your exposure is Day 0. For example, if your exposure was on Friday 30 July, you are required to quarantine until the end of Friday 13 August.
Will Grade 12 students be eligible for vaccines soon?
When will healthy children who are not currently eligible have access to vaccine?
Would the student just register for vaccination via QLD Health website? How long would it take to be able to book an appointment?
From Queensland Health: COVID-19 vaccine eligibility for children is aligned to the ATAGI advice and includes:
At this time, other cohorts for children are being assessed for prioritisation. Some key groups include boarding school children (particularly those that will return to vulnerable communities during school holidays)
Will BGS/BGGS be requesting vaccines to be distributed to students through the school once they are available?
Is Queensland Health considering a School immunisation Program for COVID as is already done for HPV?
From Queensland Health: Ultimately, COVID-19 vaccination of 12-15-year olds will be able to be rolled into the school vaccination program. The timeframe for this is not yet able to be determined and will be dependent on the overall achievement of the National initial vaccination program
I had to change my vaccination appointment because it is on Friday i.e. during our quarantine period. I found that there were no available appointments using the online booking system. How should we go about making appointments for our children?
All rescheduling of appointments at public clinics can be done by calling 134COVID. To reschedule your appointment at a private clinic, please call your provider directly.
The website just keeps redirecting when trying to book on behalf of a person (e.g. child). I’ve registered as I’m already fully vaccinated. Is there an issue with the site?
From Queensland Health: First check with your usual GP to see if they are offering COVID-19 vaccinations. You can find other GP clinics offering vaccines close to you through websites such as ‘healthengine’ or ‘Hotdoc’.
When seeking a booking at a Queensland Health vaccination clinic, you first need to register your interest in the name of the person being vaccinated.
If a staff member has already had the first vaccine can they now be prioritised for the second jab under the 1B list?
From Queensland Health: Anyone who has received their first vaccine is eligible for a second vaccine at the scheduled time.
My 16-year-old daughter volunteers at an aged care facility. Is she eligible to receive the vaccination as part of the priority group now?
From Queensland Health: Healthcare workers and support staff in all vulnerable settings, including the community/aged care/disability and education are Phase 1B priority group for COVID-19 vaccines and eligible for vaccination now.
This includes individuals who may be in contact with the general public during the conduct of their work who work in the community, general practice, community pharmacy, a centre-based care facility, a school or other clinical setting or who provide in-home care. This includes but is not limited to clinical staff; health professional students on clinical placement; clinical assistants; reception and administrative staff; cleaners; locum staff; interpreters and volunteers.
In relation to people who have already registered with Queensland Health for vaccination (i.e. prior to inclusion of school staff in 1B) how do we go back to that registration to change our eligibility to be associated with being a teacher? We are unable to re-register with same phone number/email.
From Queensland Health: You can find GP clinics offering vaccines close to you through the health.gov.au website. Or else check your GP’s website to see if they are offering the vaccines.
Because I couldn’t work, and my clinic was closed my reception staff wasn’t able to be paid because the surgery was closed. How can I help my staff to claim Centrelink payment and I need the proof for Centrelink, so my staff gets some money? There are a lot of flow on effects when secondary contacts aren’t able to work.
Can Queensland Health please inform Centrelink who are managing various pandemic payments for individuals and small businesses that you are using mass communication strategy for BGS and BGGS quarantine directive. They are requesting individual proof for payment.
From Queensland Health: Queensland Health is working through the National Incident Room with the Federal Government Agencies to clarify the documentation required for people to access relevant COVID-19 relief payments. Initial indication is that relevant notifications including SMS, letters, website notifications and quarantine release documentation will be sufficient evidence. Please keep copies of relevant documentation to support your application.
We live in the south side and notice several QML sites mentioned that we must have a referral. Is this correct?
Is it possible to take the pathology forms provided via email to any of the walk-in S&N or QML lab locations in Brisbane?
Will other QML or S&N testing clinics accept the request forms we have specific to Grammar?
From Queensland Health: All pathology providers can provide testing without a referral at this time. This is a short-term arrangement put in place to support management of this Delta outbreak. Drive-through sites are recommended as this option allows you to wait in the comfort of your own car and ensures physical distancing. Notwithstanding, all testing sites are established to ensure physical distancing can be undertaken whilst waiting and being tested. Please feel free to use the most convenient suitable test centre.
Unfortunately, some websites can be inaccurate due to the lag time that it takes for them to be updated.
Do secondary contacts need to get an exit COVID Test (Day 12) or just reply on close contacts testing negative?
Do all family members need to do a second test or just children as primary contacts?
Queensland Health documents say secondary contacts don’t need testing if primary contact test is negative (unless health care worker), BGGS email says all contacts – could you clarify please?
Do health care workers need two exit tests before returning to work?
From Queensland Health: Testing of secondary contacts is not required unless anyone in the household shows symptoms of COVID-19. Testing is recommended for the whole household if your primary contact missed their entry test. Notwithstanding, sometimes it helps that children have a role model. You may like to get tested to demonstrate and reassure your child that testing is safe, albeit a little uncomfortable.
Why test on Day 12 as an exit test but still quarantine till Day 14. Is it just a logistical delay? How is QLD Health addressing the risk of quarantine requirements not followed if exit test is clear specifically in-home quarantine situations?
What happens if someone gets tested on Day 11 and not Day 12? Does that affect being able to go back to school?
Is it Day 12 since your first test or since it was announced by the school?
If you already have symptoms before the Day 12 test but the Day 12 test comes back negative, can you exit quarantine?
If you get a Day 11 test, then does that mean you won’t be allowed to go back to school on Monday unless you get a Day 12 or 13 test?
From Queensland Health: A person who is informed that they are a close contact must quarantine until the end of Day 14 after the day on which the person last had close contact (reference is the Management of Close Contacts Direction). This direction also states that a person will be quarantined for a further period of 14 days from the end of the quarantine period if the person is not tested for COVID-19 when request to do so by an emergency officer (public health).
In Queensland, the requirement is to be tested at Day 12 (or later), prior to exit from quarantine. This balances the risk of preventing release of potentially infectious people into the community (people who are asymptomatic or has under-reported symptoms)
Day 12 is 12 calendar days AFTER your exposure. The date of your exposure is Day 0. For example, if your exposure was on Friday 30 July, Day 12 will be Wednesday 11 August.
Day 10 or Day 11 tests do not meet the minimum requirement for exit from quarantine.
What happens if people in the school community or one of their household members refuse to take a test on Day 12, 13, 14 or ever? How will Queensland Health deal with that?
From Queensland Health: The Management of Close Contacts Direction states that a person will be quarantined for a further period of 14 days from the end of the quarantine period if the person is not tested for COVID-19 when request to do so by an emergency officer (public health). In Queensland, the requirement is testing at day 12 (or later), prior to exit from quarantine. Those people who are not tested will be quarantined for a further 14 days.
Often COVID tests have returned positive results at or after Day 14. Is there any reason why we are testing at Day 12?
Is there high chances that someone may have tested negative on their exit test but may then be positive once back at school?
From Queensland Health: Current evidence is that although possible, it is rare for people to have an incubation period greater than 14 days. Day 12 represents a balance between maximising covering most incubation periods and accommodating known test ‘turnaround times’. For this reason, we ask that in the unlikely event you do develop symptoms after your day test, please attend for a further test and isolate until you receive a negative result.
Some clinics took a week to provide results. Does the pop up at RNA confirm that results will be provided before Monday?
From Queensland Health: Queensland Health is monitoring and supporting all laboratories to maintain good turnaround times. Specifically, 24-36 hours is the key target. Some testing services have laboratories in NSW meaning that turnaround times can be affected by flight availability (taking swabs to the laboratories.
If you have not got your result within 36 hours of testing, please contact your testing laboratory.
Contact numbers for key laboratories are:
Mater Pathology – 07 3163 8500 or pathology.enquiries@mater.org.au
QML – 07 3121 4444 or 1800 677491
Sullivan & Nicolaides Pathology – 0733778756 or patientservices@snp.com.au
MedLab – 1300 633522 or 07 37084200
4Cyte Pathology – 134298
Pathology Queensland (public Queensland Health facilities): 1800 472847
Would it help for students/parents to forward student results to the school /Queensland Health when we get them post Wed?
From Queensland Health: There is no need to notify the school of your test results. Please keep a record of your results for future record.
Queensland Health monitors all COVID-19 test results and can reconcile lists of primary close contacts against test results. Where it is identified that a primary close contact is approaching end of quarantine and has not recorded a negative result—a reminder to get tested will be provided. Should you get a reminder, but you have had a test or you have been informed you don’t need a test, please contact Queensland Health to discuss so that our records can be amended.
Given Queensland Health didn’t communicate with us directly not ask us how many people are in households and thus are secondary contacts and are also quarantining how do you know exactly how many people in QLD are subject to quarantine orders?
From Queensland Health: We have been able to identify that there is at least 13,000 people in quarantine. We acknowledge that we may not be aware of all the secondary contacts for the reasons detailed above.
Does Queensland Health have the Open Day visitors list?
Queensland Health has access to all Open Day visitors who registered their attendance using the Check In Qld App.
