Queensland COVID-positive aged care nurse worked while unwell, delayed test

A female nurse at a state-run aged care facility in the central Queensland city of Rockhampton is the state's new case of novel coronavirus overnight.

The state's COVID-19 total increased by two to 1054 on Friday, consisting of a Queensland resident who was diagnosed in Western Australia and was added to the total, along with the new active case.

North Rockhampton Nursing Centre where a nurse tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday night.Credit: Google Maps

Queensland's chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said it was "a case out of nowhere", adding that the nurse at the North Rockhampton Nursing Centre had worked at the facility while unwell.

Authorities believe the nurse contracted the virus during a recent trip to Brisbane and officials believe she was infectious from May 3 and started showing symptoms from May 5.

Dr Young said she was unsure why the nurse worked while unwell and why there was a delay in her feeling unwell and her being tested, but it showed "we have not beaten this virus yet".

"I don’t know at this time what symptoms she did or did not have, but I have taken a very, very cautious approach and ensuring we spread that net very widely," Dr Young said.

Health Minister Steven Miles said the new active case was "cause for some concern" and she tested positive about 8pm on Thursday, triggering a major health response.

Mr Miles said a rapid response health team flew from Brisbane to Rockhampton overnight and was working with local health officials to quarantine staff and residents.

On Friday, there was mass testing under way for all of the facility's 115 residents and 180 staff.

Mr Miles said there were 17 active cases in Queensland at the moment, with six of those patients in hospital with three of those in intensive care.

From 11.59pm on Friday, stage one of the state government's COVID-19 recovery plan takes effect.

It allows gatherings of a maximum of 10 people in a public space; dining at restaurants, pubs, clubs, RSLs and cafes for a maximum of 10 patrons at once; recreational day trips within a 150-kilometre radius from your home; and some beauty therapies and nail salons to reopen for up to 10 people at once.

Stage one also allows the reopening of libraries, playground equipment, skate parks and outdoor gyms; wedding guests increased to 10 people and funeral attendance increased to 20 indoors and 30 outdoors; open homes and auctions to restart; and public pools and lagoons reopen.

Two concessions were built into stage one for outback Queensland: dining at pubs and cafes will be up to 20 for locals only, and the recreational travel radius extends to 500 kilometres from home with regional Queensland travellers also allowed to stay overnight with family and friends in rural areas.