Police called to Tangara School for Girls after parents claimed school ignored health orders

An elite Sydney girls school at the centre of a coronavirus outbreak is being investigated by police after parents accused it of ignoring social distancing.

The cluster of cases at Tangara School for Girls in Cherrybrook jumped to 20 on Thursday, including 12 senior students and one teacher. 

Police officers attended the school, which has been closed this week, on Thursday following the claim of an outraged parent who said choir was still being held along with compulsory mass and communion.

Tangara School for Girls in Cherrybrook (pictured) has been linked to 19 cases of the deadly virus including 12 senior students and one teacher

NSW Police said they would be investigating any breaches of public health orders. 

‘The NSW Police Force is working with NSW Health and the NSW Department of Education to determine whether there have been any breaches of current Public Health Orders,’ NSW Police said in a statement.

Another mother said her daughter along with some other students ‘didn’t seem surprised’ an outbreak had occurred at the school, The Australian reported.

‘She felt (the school) could have been stricter on their procedures (and) people were starting to pan­ic,’ the mother said. 

One father also said there was a ‘sense of distress’ as the cluster of infections continues to grow. 

The police investigation comes after one worried parent told 2GB’s Ben Fordham Tangara was not following health guidelines. 

‘According to this parent, the school has not been practicing COVID-safe measures,’ Fordham said on Thursday.

‘They say the primary school has been doing weekly choir, they’ve continued compulsory mass, students are still taking communion by the hand and teachers have been taking it by the tongue.

‘Last Wednesday there was a primary school food stall run by the high school students.’ 

Deep cleaning continued at Tangara School for Girls in Cherrybrook (pictured) on Tuesday

Deep cleaning continued at Tangara School for Girls in Cherrybrook (pictured) on Tuesday

But the girls school has strongly denied the parent’s claims.

‘We absolutely refute the claims made regarding our COVID-safe practices,’ the spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

‘There has been no breach of the rules in regard to any school activities including assemblies, Mass, choirs, and guidance around food items.’

‘We have always observed the NSW Government rules and guidelines for schools, leading up to, during, and post-lockdown.

‘In term 3, in accordance with NSW Government schools guidelines, this has included following the 4sqm rule for assemblies and Mass, no choirs or singing in any form, and a food stall that observed COVID-safe practices including students following appropriate social distancing.’ 

The school closed last weekend and will remain shut until August 24 to undergo deep cleaning

The school closed last weekend and will remain shut until August 24 to undergo deep cleaning

Health authorities are still working to identify the source of the cluster of cases at the Cherrybrook school.

‘We have some hypotheses but that person is not linked to a known cluster,’ NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said.

An overnight religious retreat is believed to be the reason for the outbreak in cases at Tangara. 

An investigation is underway into reports several Year 10 and 11 students attended an overnight religious retreat in Bargo, 90km south-west of Sydney, before they tested positive, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. 

The school insists it had nothing to do with the retreat and that it was organised by the nearby Eremeran study centre with the Catholic organisation Opus Dei. 

‘The school has not held any camps or retreats for its students since March 2020, when the COVID-19 restrictions for schools came into place,’ a school statement read. 

The Tangara School for Girls secondary campus has been closed since Monday and will remain shut until at least August 24.

Health authorities are still working to identify the source of the cluster of cases at the Cherrybrook school (pictured security guards at pop up testing clinic in Castle Hill in Sydney on Wednesday)

Health authorities are still working to identify the source of the cluster of cases at the Cherrybrook school (pictured security guards at pop up testing clinic in Castle Hill in Sydney on Wednesday)

All students, staff and support staff at the secondary campus have been ordered to get tested for and self-isolate at home for two weeks, even if a negative test result is returned.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said any extra-curricular activities should not be going on in the midst of the outbreak of cases. 

‘Extracurricular activities, those excursions, overnight things which you would ordinary do are not acceptable during the pandemic,’ Ms Berejiklian said on Tuesday.

‘I’m absolutely paranoid about what I do myself, the worst thing to be would be unintentionally give it to others.’ 

Potentially COVID-exposed venues throughout New South Wales

Anyone who attended the following venues during the dates and times below are advised to isolate, monitor and test for COVID-19 should any symptoms present, however mild:

Rhodes IKEA on 8 August, between 1:20pm -2:20pm

Parramatta Westfield on 5 August between 4pm-5:30pm and 8 August between 12pm – 1pm

• Dooleys Lidcombe Catholic Club from 5pm on 7 August to 1:30am on 8 August

• Castle Towers Shopping Centre in Castle Hill on 7 August between 3:30pm – 5pm

• Baby Bunting, Penrith on Saturday 8 August between 1.15pm – 1.45pm

  • BBQ City Buffet, Bankstown: 7pm to 8.30pm on Saturday 1 August
  • McDonald Jones Stadium, Broadmeadow: 7.30pm to the end of the Newcastle Jets match on Sunday 2 August
  • Bunnings Warehouse, Campbelltown: 11am to 7pm on Tuesday 4 August; 8am to 4pm on Wednesday 5 August; 1pm to 3pm on Thursday 6 August
  • Master Hot Pot, Canley Vale: 1pm to 2pm on Saturday 1 August
  • Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL, Canterbury: 6.30pm to 8pm on Monday 27 July
  • PharmaSave Cherrybrook Pharmacy in Appletree Shopping Centre, Cherrybrook: 4pm to 7pm on Thursday 6 August
  • Woolworths, Crows Nest: 10.30am to 11am on Monday 27 July
  • Warren View Hotel, Enmore: 4pm to 4.20pm on Saturday 1 August
  • Neeta Shopping Centre (including the Soul Pattinson Chemist, Woolworths and Fresco Juice Bar), Fairfield: Thursday 23 July to Thursday 30 July
  • Greenroof Bar Restaurant, Hamilton: 10.30pm on Friday 31 July to 12.15am on Saturday 1 August
  • Sushi Revolution, Hamilton: Noon to 12:45pm on Saturday 1 August
  • Woolworths – Marrickville Metro Shopping Centre, Marrickville: 7pm to 7.20pm on Sunday 2 August
  • Queens Wharf Hotel, Newcastle: 9.30pm to 11pm on Saturday 1 August
  • St Agatha’s, Pennant Hills: 6.30 am to 7am on Wednesday 5 August; 6.30 am to 7am on Thursday 6 August
  • Penrith Plaza, Penrith: 10.30am to 12pm Saturday 1 August
  • The Eveleigh Hotel, Redfern: 8.30pm to 10pm on Friday 31 July
  • Cubby’s Kitchen, Sydney: 7.35pm to 9.30pm on Saturday 1 August
  • Mary’s Macquarie Place, Sydney: 6.45pm to 7.15pm on Saturday 1 August

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk