More Sydney schools shut amid COVID-19, Qld cancels schoolies

• Health officials have closed more schools across Sydney after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19
• Nine new cases of COVID-19 were recorded in the last day, with all of the cases acquired in the community
• Along with the school closures, NSW Health has confirmed a number of new gyms have been linked to possible COVID-19 outbreaks
• In the meantime, Queensland officials have decided to cancel schoolies amid a ban on mass gatherings
• No more than 10 people are allowed to congregate together on the Gold Coast, after a slight uptick in cases

A number of Sydney schools and gyms have been closed for cleaning after
people attending the venues tested positive for COVID-19.

NSW has recorded nine new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours until 8:00 pm on Thursday, with all of the cases acquired locally.

Thirteen new cases of #COVID19 were diagnosed in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, bringing the total number of cases in NSW to 3,830.

Locations linked to known cases and areas identified for increased testing can be found here: https://t.co/pqkRdfh3cR pic.twitter.com/GSnR9NYbcb

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 28, 2020

Two schools will be closed today, including Ryde Secondary College in the City’s northwest, after a staff member tested positive.

The other school affected is St Gertrude’s Primary School in Sydney’s west. Both schools have been closed to allow for deep cleaning to take place, as well as to allow authorities time to conduct contact tracing.

Along with the schools, more gyms have been linked to possible COVID-19 outbreaks with alerts issued.

Health officials are contacting anyone who attended Fitness First gym on Bond Street in the CBD on Thursday or Friday afternoon last week.

A similar warning is in place for Virgin Gym in Zetland. Anyone who attended classes there on the evening of August 24 should isolate and get tested.

Announcement: @NSWHealth has put out a Covid-19 alert for the Virgin Gym in Zetland and the City Tattersalls Fitness Centre in Sydney’s city centre.

More information https://t.co/x4bwbnh9tJ#zetland #sydney #nswhealth pic.twitter.com/Vlhu25dIhK

— City of Sydney (@cityofsydney) August 26, 2020

In the meantime, Queensland officials are taking no chances and have cancelled schoolies (end-of-year celebrations for high school graduates) celebrations.

It comes as three new cases of COVID-19 were recorded on the Gold Coast, the official location for schoolies celebrations each year.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced a ban on mass gatherings for residents in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. This means no more than 10 people can gather at home or in venues.

Speaking on her decision to cancel schoolies, the Premier said “This is a mass event. It poses a high risk — high risk not only for the people who attend, all the young people, but also all the people they come in contact with, and of course their families and their friends and their grandparents.”

Instead, the Premier encouraged high schoolers to organise holidays intra-state, and in small groups.