AFL 2020: Video of footy fans leaving the Gabba sparks fears

As authorities scramble to contain an outbreak in Queensland, a video showing hundreds of footy fans bunched together has raised concerns.

Hundreds of footy fans were spotted bunched together as they left a Brisbane stadium following an AFL game over the weekend — leading to concern amid a growing coronavirus outbreak in the city.

Attendance records show 13,000 people spent their Sunday watching the Brisbane Lions and St Kilda game at the Gabba — where they were asked to adhere to strict social distancing measures.

However, the measures look to have been thrown out of the window once the game finished.

One video uploaded onto social media shows thousands of fans leaving at the same time, with hundreds of them bundled together on steps leading down to the exit.

The images come as health authorities scramble to contain a growing Brisbane Youth Detention Centre cluster.

“How’s that AFL COVID safe plan working premier,” one Facebook user said alongside the video.

Dozens of fans are seen packed together exiting the Gabba on Sunday.

“We have an outbreak in Brisbane and yet you allow this insanity to continue. Not a single person social distancing.”

In a statement, a spokeswoman for the Gabba said the venue has a COVID-safe management plan for every event. She reminded patrons to keep social distancing outside the stadium.

“The venue undertakes a number of operational measures such as socially distanced allocated seating and regularly sanitised surfaces and also actively encourages patrons to social distance, as is the direction to all Queenslanders under current guidelines,” she said.

“While most visitors to The Gabba do the right thing, we would like to remind patrons how vital their co-operation is in ensuring these types of events are able to proceed in the future.

“As with circumstances outside the stadium, individuals are encouraged to socially distance and to remove themselves from any situations that may encourage close contact with other patrons (for example, wait a few minutes until the crowd has dissipated before leaving a venue).”

The concerns come amid a scamble to contain cases from an outbreak involving the youth detention centre at Wacol that grew by one yesterday — a relative of an infected employee.

The new case takes the number of cases in the cluster to 10, including five staff members and five of their relatives.

A cluster of COVID-19 cases linked to Brisbane Youth Detention Centre has sparked public health alerts across Brisbane, Logan and Ipswich in southeast Queensland. Picture: Glenn Hunt/Getty Images

“Clearly, the fact that we’re confirming just one case today and they were already in quarantine is a relief,” Health Minister Steven Miles said. “But there is a long to go in managing this cluster.”

Public health alerts have been issued for dozens of locations across Greater Brisbane and Ipswich where people infected as part of the youth detention centre cluster visited.

For the first time, Queenslanders are being strongly urged to wear masks.

“If you’re in a crowded situation that you can’t get out of, put a mask on,” Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young yesterday.

“I’m not going to mandate it because I don’t believe we have broad-spread community transmission but certainly we’re in a risky period.”

In the 24 hours to yesterday, Queensland tested 6834 people — far short of the daily average during the past month of 9436, despite weekend warnings about the latest outbreak.

Suburbs affected by the public health alert include Mt Gravatt East, Springfield, Carindale, Camp Hill, Marsden, Forest Lake, Browns Plains, Greenbank, Mt Gravatt, Carina Heights, Slacks Creek, Indooroopilly, Greenslopes, Crestmead, Brassall, Birkdale, Bundamba and Wacol.

Originally published as AFL 2020: Video of footy fans leaving the Gabba sparks fears