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Qld school, businesses close after six local COVID cases

Broadbeach State School on the Gold Coast has reportedly been closed amid fears of virus exposure.

Broadbeach State School on the Gold Coast has reportedly been closed amid fears of virus exposure. Photo: Supplied

Six local COVID-19 cases have been detected on the Gold Coast just three days before Queensland’s border rules ease.

The Broadbeach State School reportedly sent a text message to parents on Friday morning informing them that an active case visited the school and that they would need to self isolate and get tested.

“There has now been a confirmed infectious case of COVID-19 at Broadbeach State School, please keep your child and your household members at school, all will need to be tested today,” the message said, according to News Corp reports.

That case is one of six later confirmed on Friday. The others are the child’s parents, a musician who works in Byron Bay and a partially vaccinated man who recently moved to Queensland and is thought to have been infectious for five days.

“We can assume there is transmission happening across the Gold Coast,” Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said.

Also on the Gold Coast, the Fuel Bakehouse at Currumbin Waters was closed on Friday after reporting a visit by a positive COVID-19 case on Wednesday morning.

“We regret to inform that we have had a positive COVID case come through our doors yesterday morning,” it posted on Facebook on Thursday night.

“We are taking all actions required, which means we won’t be able to open our doors tomorrow as we are testing all our staff as directed.”

The state government has been urging the more than 507,000 Gold Coasters to get the jab, with only 78.1 per cent fully vaccinated so far.

Deputy Police Commissioner and Vaccine Coordinator Shane Chelepy said figures on Friday would show that the state has hit 88 per cent first dose. But parts of the Gold Coast hinterland and Nerang have lower coverage than the state average.

“It could be a lot of things, we’re right up to high vaccination rates now, we know we are dealing with severe hesitancy, and I think it’s got to now come to the point where a person’s desire to be vaccinated overcomes their concern about the vaccine,” he told ABC Radio on Friday.

“I think as COVID enters Queensland, people will make their own decision and balance that risk.”

The state will also scrap quarantine from Monday for vaccinated domestic travellers from virus hotspots who test negative.

The easing is expected to lead to a rise in cases with Deputy Premier Steven Miles insisting hospitals are prepared.

The Australian Medical Association Queensland said another 1500 beds were needed to ensure hospital demand was brought under control, but Mr Miles said ICU capacity had been bolstered.

He also said high vaccination coverage would reduce demand, but there could be an increase in waiting times.

“Our hospitals are really good at managing to make sure that the people who need the most urgent care get the most urgent care, sometimes that means that other people who have less urgent needs have to wait a little bit longer, and we just urge people to be understanding about that,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Chelepy said boosters were being administered across the state with the vaccine rollout for just under 500,000 children aged five-11 to start on January 10.

He said parents would be able to take their children to state-run vaccine clinics or their local GPs.

He said school-based clinics would likely operate out of hours so parents could accompany their children.

“We do want that parental support when we do it,” he said.

-with AAP

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