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Seven students at a Sydney school for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder have tested positive for COVID-19.
NSW Health on Thursday confirmed a total of 18 students, teachers and family members from Giant Steps in Gladesville have returned positive COVID-19 results.
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This includes three staff members, seven students and eight family members.
“The first cases were notified on 5 August and NSW Health is working with the school, which is closed, to support students, their families and staff in isolation,” NSW Health said in a statement.
Autism Awareness Australia said it was “absolutely devastating news” and called upon authorities to do more.
“We are so saddened to hear that Giant Steps Sydney has had to close and is dealing with a COVID outbreak,” it said in a Facebook post on Thursday.
“More than a dozen students and a handful of teachers have tested positive - with hundreds of kids and families now in isolation,” it added.
“This is absolutely devastating news. Our thoughts are with the children, staff and families during such a difficult time.
“The Federal Government needs to step up their game, NOW. These are our most vulnerable and it’s simply unacceptable.”
NSW on Thursday recorded 345 new COVID-19 cases, with growing concern over the higher numbers of children returning positive test results.
Children aged between 0 to 9 years of age accounted for 44 cases, while there were 70 cases in the 10 to 19 years age bracket.
The 114 infections recorded by those two age brackets represents a third of the total number of new COVID-19 cases reported on Thursday.
Nicole Rogerson, CEO of Autism Awareness Australia, said she couldn’t help but be angry that Giant Steps is nearby to a private school where Year 12 students managed to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I can’t help to be angry that Giant Steps is in the same neighbourhood as the private school St Joseph’s College who managed to get their Yr 12’s the jab!” she said on Twitter.
“There will be outrage, finger pointing and anger….but right now I am thinking of the students, their families and the staff.”
It comes just a day after Ryde Secondary College in Sydney’s west was also closed after a member of the school community tested positive.
Education Minister Sarah Mitchell on Wednesday told a parliamentary inquiry into the government’s response to the pandemic that its department was unable to track vaccination rates of teachers, while adding that about 51 per cent of the state’s teachers were aged 40 and over and had been eligible for the jab for some time.