Dr Iraphne Childs, RGSQ President

Dear Members, I hope members in Southeast Queensland have managed to stay well and cope with the recent lockdown. At this writing we are, thankfully, out of lockdown, but remaining vigilant under some restrictions to control the re-emergence of the COVID Delta strain. Despite the challenges of holding the Olympics in Tokyo with its high rate of COVID cases, the event has been a success and at least it gave us something to keep us entertained during lockdown. How good were those Australian swimmers and athletes!

Geography reveals new vulnerability in Brisbane’s lockdown:

The recent Southeast Queensland lockdown has presented a new and largely unanticipated vulnerability due to the geography and demography of the 11 affected LGAs in Brisbane. Consider the list of the 10 private and State schools at the core of the outbreak:

• ·        Indooroopilly State High
• ·        Ironside State School
• ·        Brisbane Grammar School (Boys)
• ·        Brisbane Girls Grammar School
• ·        St Joseph's College Gregory Terrace
• ·        St Peters Lutheran College
• ·        St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School
• ·        Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie)
• ·        Pullenvale State School                                          
• ·        Brigidine College                                                                                  

This list includes most of the elite and wealthiest schools in Brisbane. Students attending these schools and their families were required to isolate and/or quarantine for up to two weeks, many obliged to remain in quarantine longer as more cases have emerged within those families. Many of these students and their friends in a wider circle of western Brisbane suburbs are from households where parents work in professional fields. According to the ABS 2016 Census the most common occupation in Greater Brisbane was Professionals 23%. This includes medical specialists and practitioners and healthcare workers. It was reported (ABC News) that more than 400 medical professionals were forced into isolation during the outbreak in Southeast Queensland due to their children’s attendance at the listed schools. This was a first for essential medical workers, who are normally allowed to work during lockdowns. This development placed a burden on our hospitals, especially in emergency departments, with non-isolating medical staff having to pick up the extra workload. 

 At RGSQ:

• We successfully presented via zoom our monthly lecture by Martin Crotty Reimagining James Cook and Australian History on 3^rd August with 53 registrants including 12 non-members. So, this was indeed a popular topic.
• If you missed it catch it on RGSQ’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2WD4ARJhBDIiOxa3qndb4Q
• We have launched the 2021 photographic competition. This year’s theme is City and Townscapes of Queensland. See more details on page 4 of this Bulletin and on the website.
• Unfortunately, we had to postpone the Map Group’s much-anticipated Upper Brisbane Valley trip scheduled for 5-6 August due to the lockdown that week. We hope to re-schedule that trip and will keep registrants informed.

Keep checking the RGSQ website for updates on these and other Society events.

AGM and Council nominations

The RGSQ Annual General Meeting is on 19 October. If any member would like to nominate for the 2021-2022 Council, please email the Office at info@rgsq.org.au for a nomination form or to discuss a role on the Council please feel free to contact me at 0419 756 936.

 With best wishes, Iraphne Childs, President

References: ABC News 2/8/2021A COVID-19 Delta cluster is spreading across major Queensland schools. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-02/qld-covid-tracking-delta-outbreak-schools-students-cluster/100342818

ABS 2016 Census QuickStats Greater Brisbane.  Code 3GBRI (GCCSA) https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/3GBRI?opendocument

ABC News 4/8/2021Queensland's COVID-19 Delta outbreak forces hundreds of key healthcare workers into quarantine https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-04/qld-covid-doctors-in-home-quarantine-affected-by-school-cluster/100345542