Byron Bay on alert after two Queensland COVID-19 cases visited while infectious

More than 1000 people who visited two popular Byron Bay venues have been put on alert after two COVID-infected people visited.

More than 1300 people have been put on high alert as contact tracers fear they may have come into contact with two COVID-19 cases at a pub in Byron Bay.

Four new cases of locally transmitted coronavirus were revealed in Queensland on Monday, including two who travelled to Byron Bay for three days while infectious.

The Byron Beach Hotel and The Farm in Byron were two of the locations released by Queensland Health as being visited by those two people before they tested positive to the virus.

Unconfirmed reports suggest they attended a bachelorette party in Byron but it’s not yet clear which venue this is related to.

A case visited The Farm in Byron Bay.

The new cases of local transmission prompted Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to announce Greater Brisbane would enter a snap, three-day lockdown from 5pm on Monday.

n in the venue between 7.15pm and 8.30pm, get a test immediately and go isolate.”

Anyone who was at the Byron Beach Hotel in Byron Bay on Friday, March 26 between 7.15pm and 8.30pm has been urged to isolate and get tested until more advice becomes available.

However, speaking with media on Monday, NSW chief medical officer Dr Kerry Chant said that contact tracers had to reach out to anyone who checked into the venue from 2pm to 8.30pm.

Two cases travelled to Byron Bay while infectious. Picture: Brook Mitchell/Getty Images

That is because people who check into a venue often don’t check out.

“If you were there between 7:15pm and 8.30pm. I can indicate that we have texted and are reaching out to 1321 people who signed in at that venue from 2pm to 8.30pm,” Dr Chant said.

“Not everyone religiously checks out and so we've taken a wide variety of a time span.

“We are ringing those individuals, and we have texted them to say that if you had been in the venue between 7.15pm and 8.30pm, get a test immediately and go isolate.”

The second venue of concern that the infectious people visited was The Farm Byron Bay on Sunday March 28 between 8am and 9.30am.

Both venues have been declared ‘high-risk’ locations by health authorities.

On its Facebook page, The Farm announced it had closed immediately ‘for a full deep clean’.

“If you visited us during this time, you should get tested and self isolate,” the venue said.

“We’d like to thank the health authorities and all our health heros for the amazing work they are doing. Thank you to our community for your continued support during this time.”

The Farm houses a collection of micro-businesses including acclaimed restaurant Three Blue Ducks.

Dr Chant admitted more venues in the Byron area could be listed as contact tracers probe people’s movements through QR codes.

NSW health Minister Brad Hazzard said the Byron, Ballina and Tweed regions were concerning.

“For the Ballina, Byron and Tweed regions the message should be loud and clear: it's a very fluid area,” he said.

“We have people obviously crossing back and forth across all the time from Brisbane and from Queensland into those areas so the message to those folks particularly is be on high alert.

“You could have been near somebody who has come from Brisbane, and you wouldn’t necessarily know that, so if you do get symptoms, get tested.”

Queensland chief medical officer Dr Jeannette Young said she was waiting on genomic sequencing to determine how the cases are linked to other infections, noting the community transmission is of concern.

“We now have significant community transmission and significant numbers of venues of concern all through Brisbane and we know that people have moved from Brisbane out into the broader community,” she said.

Of the four new cases, two were connected to the existing cluster announced last week.

“They were work colleagues,” Dr Young said.

However, the other two who visited Byron Bay are unlinked and under investigation.

Dr Jeannette Young said two cases travelled to Byron Bay. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jono Searle

Ms Palaszczuk apologised for the inconvenience the snap lockdown was going to cause people, particularly in the lead-up to Easter, but said health had to come first.

“I didn’t sleep last night, so I am very worried,” she said.

When asked if the lockdown would extend beyond the three days, Ms Palaszczuk said she hoped not.

“It’s going to depend on how our contact tracers go over the next 24 hours,” she said.

Originally published as Byron Bay on alert after two Queensland COVID-19 cases visited while infectious