WILL DELAY TO SCHOOL YEAR MAKE THE GRADE?

IT’S been a long, hot summer holiday and it’s about to get longer. The decision to push back the scheduled return to class in Queensland will come as a relief to many parents and teachers who were worried about the rampant spread of Covid across the state.

Yesterday’s figures had cases in the Cairns and hinterland health region breaking the four-figure milestone for the first time, adding 1470 new cases to the tally.

But the only certainty is that the true total of cases in our community is higher than that. Not everyone is getting tested and hundreds of people are still sitting at home waiting for results.

Queensland cases are expected to peak in the last week of January or first week of February, which proves that once again, this virus has the most remarkable timing.

Every fresh scare seems to sabotage a critical period of bookings for our tourism industry. New variant Omicron was the party-pooper just in time for Christmas.

Now, this outbreak is expected to peak at exactly the time we send kids back to school to mix in close proximity.

Our population is about 90 per cent vaccinated, but that statistic does not, at this stage, include young children.

Their opportunity to get vaxxed is only really starting now, but that process will take time.

For many parents expecting to get back to normal life at the end of January, the two-week delay to the start of the school year will be hugely disruptive.

It doesn’t just affect them, it has an impact on employers, workmates and those who might help with care, such as grandparents.

But unfortunately, the delay feels like the only option to prevent a perfect storm of superspreaders while the Omicron outbreak is at its height. The hope is that this delay is sufficient. Sean Atkins

Chief of staff