Brisbane Airport bathroom latest COVID-19 exposure site
A men’s bathroom at Brisbane Airport is the latest COVID exposure site. Health authorities urge anyone who used the facility within 12 hours to get tested.
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The hunt is on for people who used a male bathroom within a 12 hour period after a man who tested positive for COVID-19 used the facility at Brisbane Airport.
Queensland Health are calling for anyone who used the male toilets adjacent to Gate 79 in the Brisbane International Airport between 11.23am and 11.15pm on Thursday, April 29 to get tested after the toilet was not deep cleaned right after the man’s use.
It comes after the COVID-positive man and his partner were directed into the international terminal’s green zone after they arrived from Papua New Guinea.
Up to 400 travellers bound for New Zealand were in the terminal at the time of the breach.
The pair were transiting to Doha and had also attended Hudson’s Coffee Stand and the adjacent seating area between 9.53am and 11.20am on the same day.
Deputy chief health officer Dr Sonya Bennett said anyone who had been in these areas at those times needed to quarantine and get a COVID test on Tuesday, 4 May.
“It is likely that all of these contacts will be in New Zealand and NZ’s public health authorities are providing similar advice to people,” she said.
“However, we need to make sure we capture any contacts who remain in Australia. Having viewed CCTV footage, we believe people who have been to these locations during the times of exposure face a potential risk.”
“This is precautionary but we are taking no chances.”
A Brisbane airport spokeswoman said the bathroom had been regularly cleaned, but it had not been deep cleaned for several hours as they worked to pinpoint exactly where the man had been.
Dr Bennet said testing five days after visiting the locations would provide an accurate result after incubation.
She said if they returned a negative result after five days they could leave quarantine.
The three flights affected are Air New Zealand NZ202 from Brisbane to Christchurch, Air New Zealand NZ146 from Brisbane to Auckland, and Qantas QF135 from Brisbane to Christchurch.
The man was likely at the late stage of his infection and posed a low risk, serology test results revealed.
It comes as no new COVID-19 cases were recorded in Queensland.
The state currently has 28 active cases.
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