Positive case at Melbourne school has state on edge - Herald Sun

Health authorities are bracing for a fresh Covid outbreak at Al-Taqwa College amid concerns a teacher unknowingly taught for days while infectious.

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Health authorities are bracing for a fresh Covid-19 outbreak at Al-Taqwa College amid concerns a teacher may have unknowingly taught for days while infectious.

The Truganina school – which recorded 210 cases during Victoria’s catastrophic second wave – has again been shut, with the more than 300 staff and 2095 students ­ordered into immediate ­isolation.

The female teacher underwent a Covid test on Tuesday and received a positive result on Wednesday, but health investigators believe she may have been infectious since July 28, including three days last week at school.

In more alarming developments, a second Islamic school in Melbourne’s west was forced to close due to Covid fears on Wednesday night.

Ilim College in Dallas said it would close to await advice from the health department. The college emphasised it did not have any positive Covid-19 cases, but was shutting as a precautionary measure.

The Australian International Academy in Coburg announced on Wednesday night it would also return to online learning on Thursday and Friday.

“This is a precautionary measure as our students engaged in sporting activities with other schools,” a letter to parents at the school read.

Islamic College of Melbourne in Tarneit also it will be closed on Thursday, to return to online classes on Friday.

In a statement to parents, the College said the temporary closure was “precautionary” and based on the advice from the Department of Health.

Victoria’s Covid-19 commander Jeroen Weimar said investigators were probing the movements of the teacher, who lives in the Hobson’s Bay area.

“All of us should rightly be concerned about another positive case in our community, but you should be confident that we will wrap around it a swift response to get on top of it as quickly as we possibly can,” Mr Weimar said.

“What gives me confidence – as it did with Trinity Grammar last week and Bacchus Marsh Grammar, and all the other schools we dealt with in the last few weeks – the school leadership is what makes all the difference.

“The leadership we have seen from Al-Taqwa tonight and over recent months has been outstanding. I am confident we will work well with them to get on top of this outbreak.”

Mr Weimar said it was too soon to know if the case would jeopardise the easing of restrictions slated for next Wednesday or even prompt another lockdown.

“A lot of water is to go under the bridge, a lot of testing to do in the next two days,” he said.

On Wednesday, a Yarraville Coles supermarket emerged as Victoria’s first new exposure site in four days.

After the Truganina school’s first Covid case was detected on June 27, 2020, the Al-Taqwa outbreak grew to 210 cases by August 18 last year, contributing to Victoria’s second wave.

On Wednesday night the school told the Herald Sun that the college “assures our families, staff and the Victorian community that we have done everything required by the Victorian government to ­implement Covid-19 protocols and precautions, as we have throughout this pandemic”.

In a statement to the school community, Al-Taqwa College principal Omar Hallak directed all households connected to the college to get tested ­immediately and isolate.

“This is a fluid situation,” he wrote. “Unless the department advises us otherwise, we are locking down for the full 14-day precautionary period.”

Truganina, in Melbourne’s west, was this week revealed as having one of the state’s lowest full Covid vaccination rates of 16 per cent for both jabs.

Asthma Shaheen, of Truganina, who has two primary-aged children who attend the college and also tutors several of its students, said she was concerned.

“I’m expecting a baby in a couple of weeks and I am very overwhelmed by the news,” Ms Shaheen said.

“It’s very hard for me and families to take in the news ... I am going to get tested and go into isolation.

“It’s concerning because last year we started with one case and then it ended up with more than 100 cases – the situation is very unpredictable.”

Another parent of two ­pupils said he was “extremely concerned” about the positive case having gone through so much during the 2020 ­outbreak.

Dr Hanna El-Khoury, a Newport GP close to the school community, said there was great frustration. “But this is no different to anywhere else, it could happen anywhere,” he said.

“The issue is how did it happen? Hopefully it will be an isolated case and there will not be any greater consequence.”

The scare came just hours after Daniel Andrews praised Victorians for the state’s first “doughnut day” of zero Covid cases since July 11.

Despite mounting calls from business leaders and the state Opposition to fast-track the easing of restrictions, the Premier said he would continue to consider evolving data.

CELEBRATIONS A NON-EVENT FOR OUR OLYMPIC STARS

Major homecoming ceremony for Australia’s Olympians, let alone a parade, will not go ahead in Melbourne due to logistic problems.

Tough pandemic restrictions on outdoor gatherings would have ruled out a traditional parade, but there was hope that a more low-key ticketed event in a venue could have been organised. However, this, too, is not possible due to the complexity of athletes quarantining at different times around Australia and border closure issues.

Many Olympians from other states would have faced the prospect of quarantining twice if they came to Melbourne.

“It physically can’t happen. We just can’t get them all in the one place,” a source told the Herald Sun.

“It did have wide support but all options have fallen through. It’s just bad timing.”

A state government spokesman said: “Discussions between Visit Victoria and the AOC have identified significant logistic challenges with moving athletes around the country due to staggered quarantine starting times, different quarantine locations and border closures.”

“While a large-scale public event is unlikely, we will continue to consider other ways to recognise the outstanding efforts of our athletes.”

An AOC spokesman said the organisation was talking to governments about potential welcome-home events that might be held when the situation with Covid-19 was better understood.

The City of Melbourne was keen to help stage a homecoming event but wasn’t involved in talks about any options put to the state government.

DRIVERS ON SLOW ROAD TO VAX SAFETY

More than half of road transport workers — including removalists at the centre of Victoria’s recent Covid-19 outbreak — are unvaccinated against the virus, an alarming new study shows.

The Transport Workers Union survey of 1200 of its members revealed just 14 per cent are fully vaccinated, while 54 per cent have no protection at all.

A further 32 per cent of truck drivers, bus drivers, couriers, taxi and ride-share drivers, food delivery riders and distribution workers have received their first vaccination shot.

The exclusive data comes amid an ongoing push to redefine the frontline and prioritise the vaccine for Australia’s most at-risk workers, including teachers, childcare workers, hairdressers and retail staff.

Following recent clusters linked to removalists and a limousine driver, the TWU said it was unacceptable transport workers were no further up the list than everyday Australians.

TWU national secretary Michael Kaine also wants drivers given paid leave for their appointment.

BID TO FILL EMPTY OFFICES

Victoria has been called on to lure more global corporations to the state as Melbourne CBD’s office vacancy rate plunges to the lowest level in 20 years.

And demand for office space has hit rock bottom, even eclipsing the 1990s recession.

Repeated lockdowns have been blamed for CBD vacancies rising to 10.4 per cent over the past six months, a 2 per cent increase on the previous period, according to the latest Property Council of Australia Office Market Report.

St Kilda Road (16.3 per cent) and Southbank (15.2 per cent) also reported vacancy increases over the past six months.

The report said that Melbourne’s office vacancy rise was mainly due to reduced demand, with the CBD the only one in the nation to show negative demand so far this year.

Property Council Victorian executive director Danni Hunter said every lockdown was a step backwards for Melbourne, and especially the CBD.

“These numbers and declining office occupancy reinforce the urgent need for a plan to revitalise our CBD and ensure Melbourne continues to be a place to live, work and invest,” she said.

“With only 26 per cent of office workers returning to the office before our most recent lockdown, and no plan to encourage people back as soon as the health advice allows them to return, the Victorian government has some serious heavy lifting to do in the interest of the survival of Melbourne businesses, large and small.”

Ms Hunter called on the Andrews government to launch an ambitious plan to attract global corporates to the city.

“Global investment plays a critical role in supporting jobs and driving economic activity”, she said.

“As an international city with strong education credentials and world-class employment talent, Melbourne is uniquely placed to attract international investment and become the headquarters for many multinational businesses.”

Additional reporting by Melanie Burgess, Tess Ikonomou, John Masanauskas.

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2021-08-04 20:28:16Z
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