Complete breakdown of southeast Queensland’s new COVID-19 cluster
Queensland authorities are scrambling to contain a new outbreak of COVID-19 linked to the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre. Here we break down every new case, who they are, where they went and how businesses and authorities are dealing with the outbreak.
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Queensland’s health authorities are scrambling to contain a new outbreak of COVID-19 in the state’s southeast linked to the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre cluster.
Today, the state recorded two new cases, taking the total directly linked to a 77-year-old supervisor at the Wacol centre to nine.
The State Government has issued an urgent public health alert in which it lists more than 40 places visited by members of the cluster while infected.
It has also urged people with any symptoms to get immediately tested.
Here we break down the new Brisbane cluster, who are the nine people infected, where they went and how businesses and health authorities are responding.
Two new southeast Queensland cases as Brisbane Youth Detention centre cluster grows
Queensland Health release full list of places visited by people infected with COVID-19
Brisbane Youth Detention Centre detainees still not tested after being released into community
Nine new COVID-19 cases, six linked to youth detention centre
WHO THEY ARE
Two new cases were confirmed by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today. They are:
- A woman in her 30s from the West Moreton region linked to the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre cluster
- A baby boy who has not been in daycare or childcare
Those new cases are linked to the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre cluster, which on Saturday included seven cases:
- A Marsden man who works at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre, became ill about August 10.
- A Carindale man who works at the detention centre and for QBuild. He has been doing work for QBuild at Springwood State High School.
- The Carindale man’s wife.
- A North Ipswich man who works at the detention centre and also at a disability accommodation service.
- A relative of that North Ipswich man, who has been at Ipswich Hospital.
- A Forest Lake woman who works at the detention centre.
- Two crew members from a cargo ship off the coast of Mackay.
- A crew member from the cargo ship off the coast of Townsville where two men tested positive last week
WHAT AUTHORITIES ARE DOING
Queensland Health has issued an urgent public health alert that lists more than 40 places visited by members of the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre cluster.
Queensland Health has contacted a number of businesses that were visited by confirmed cases of COVID-19 between August 9 and 21.
Authorities have warned more positive cases will be uncovered in the coming days as contact tracers work around the clock to document the movements of those infected.
Meanwhile, health authorities are desperately trying to track down dozens of juveniles released from the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre since the COVID-19 outbreak at the facility.
NEW RESTRICTIONS
New public health measures related to the cluster were announced on Saturday.
Gatherings in homes have been reduced to 10 people for residents in Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, Scenic Rim, Moreton Bay and Redlands local government areas, and to 30 people for outdoor gatherings such as at parks. For those in other parts of the state the number for gatherings is 30 people.
The Premier called on people living in the Brisbane and West Moreton regions to avoid large gatherings this weekend.
Coronavirus QLD: Authorities fear silent transmission after detention centre cluster
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says no plan for further COVID-19 restrictions ‘at this stage’
HOW BUSINESSES ARE RESPONDING
Supermarkets, shopping centres, hardware stores and restaurants have raced to deep clean outlets visited by confirmed COVID-19 cases and reassure customers it’s still safe to visit.
However little information has been forthcoming as to whether staff at those locations have needed to self-isolate.
ANYTIME FITNESS
Staff at a gym on Brisbane‘s southside were tested after a member who later tested positive for COVID-19 visited the facility several times.
Anytime Fitness Village Square in Browns Plains appears four times between August 9 and 16 on a list of venues released today where Queensland Health will be conducting contact tracing.
The alert comes as the southeast grapples with a growing cluster centred around the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre.
“A member of Anytime Fitness Browns Plains has unfortunately been confirmed to have COVID-19,” an Anytime Fitness Australia spokesman said.
“All staff have been tested for COVID and those results are negative,” the spokesman said.
“A deep clean was conducted at the club overnight and is now reopen.”
WESTFIELD SHOPPING CENTRES
Westfield has refused to say whether any retail staff at one of Brisbane‘s biggest shopping centres are in isolation, after a COVID-19 case visited at least three stores within the complex last week.
A person infected with COVID-19 was at Westfield Carindale between 1 and 3pm on August 19, and visited Myer, Bras N Things, and Ghana Clothing.
A Westfield Carindale spokeswoman confirmed Queensland Health had contacted the centre “as part of their tracing activities.”
The spokeswoman however refused to provide details of whether affected stores had since been closed for deep cleaning and whether any retail or Westfield staff were now in isolation.
“Westfield Carindale is cleaned every night, as are all of our centres,” she said.
MOUNT GRAVATT POOL
Mount Gravatt East Pool was listed as being visited by a COVID-19 case between 10.30 and 11.45am on August 11.
Brisbane City Council, who own the pool, told The Courier-Mail that Queensland Health did not direct the pool to close.
“Queensland Health is the lead agency for enforcement of public health directions and we will continue to follow their direction, which includes providing them with contact tracing details,” a council spokesman said.
The spokesman didn‘t specify whether pools at the facility were drained.
BUNNINGS
Bunnings has revealed that a confirmed case of COVID-19 who visited the Browns Plains store on Friday August 14 wore a face mask.
“Queensland health has advised that there is no need for customers or team to self-isolate,” Bunnings regional operations manager Margaret Walford said.
“The customer was wearing a face mask during the visit and our team were also all wearing masks on this day.”
“The store has undergone 9 deep cleans using disinfectants since the visit as well as the routine cleaning that occurs throughout each day,” Ms Walford said.
WHERE THEY WENT
Current contact tracing details for Brisbane Youth Detention Centre cluster
9 August 2020: Anytime Fitness, Village Square, Browns Plains, 11am to 12:10pm
9 August 2020: Woolworths, Browns Plains Grand Plaza, Browns Plains 11am to 12pm
10 August 2020: Spotlight Browns Plains: ~9:30am to ~9:45am
10 August 2020: Anytime Fitness, Village Square, Browns Plains: 10:15am to 11:25am
10 August 2020: Woolworths, Browns Plains Grand Plaza, Browns Plains: ~11am to ~12:30pm
10 August 2020: Greenbank Takeaway, Greenbank: 5:30pm to 5:40pm
10 August 2020: Woolworths, Forest Lake Shopping centre, Forest Lake: times unknown
11 August 2020: BP Wacol (Cnr Boundary & Progress Rds), Wacol: ~6am to ~6:15am
11 August 2020: Mt Gravatt Swimming Pool, Mt Gravatt: ~10:30am to ~11:45am
11 August 2020: Dami Japanese Restaurant, Mt Gravatt: ~12pm
12 August 2020: Woolworths, Forest Lake Shopping centre, Forest Lake: ~4:30pm to ~5pm
12 August 2020: Thai Antique Carina Heights: 6pm to 6:15pm
12 August 2020: Coles, Browns Plains Grand Plaza, Browns Plains: ~7:15pm
13 August 2020: Australian Nails, Forest Lake Shopping Centre, Forest Lake: 11am to ~12am
13 August 2020: Forest Lake Shopping Centre, Forest Lake: 11am to 3pm
13 August 2020: Nandos, Forest Lake Shopping Centre, Forest Lake: after 12pm
14 August 2020: Officeworks, Browns Plains: ~10am to ~10:10am
14 August 2020: Coles, Browns Plains Grand Plaza, Browns Plains: after 10am to before 11am
14 August 2020: Ikea Slacks Creek: 11am to 2pm
14 August 2020: Woolworths, Marsden on Fifth shopping centre, Marsden: ~11:15am to ~11:30am
14 August 2020: Anytime Fitness, Village Square, Browns Plains: 2:20pm to 3:30pm
14 August 2020: Bunnings, Browns Plains: ~2:30pm to ~3pm
14 August 2020: Coles, Forest Lake Shopping Centre, Forest Lake: ~4pm to ~4:30pm
15 August 2020: Kmart, Browns Plains Grand Plaza, Browns Plains: ~9:30am to ~9:45am
15 August 2020: Anytime Fitness, Village Square, Browns Plains: 10:25am to 11:35am
16 August 2020: Woolworths, Marsden on Fifth shopping centre, Marsden: ~10am to ~10:15am
16 August 2020: Coles, Browns Plains Grand Plaza, Browns Plains: ~10:30am to ~11am
16 August 2020: Anytime Fitness, Village Square, Browns Plains: 1:20pm to 2:30pm
17 August 2020: Greenbank Takeaway, Greenbank: ~6:30pm to ~6:40pm
18 August 2020: BCF, Greenslopes: ~12:30pm to ~1pm
18 August 2020: Chemist Warehouse (Waratah Dr) Crestmead: Afternoon
18 August 2020: BP Wacol (Cnr Boundary & Progress Rds), Wacol: Evening
19 August 2020: 12 RND Fitness, Birkdale: 8am to 9:30am
19 August 2020: Woolworths, Browns Plains Grand Plaza, Browns Plains: ~9:30am
19 August 2020: The Jam Pantry, Greenslopes: 10:30am to 11:45am
19 August 2020: Westfield Carindale Shopping Centre, Carindale: ~1pm to ~3pm
19 August 2020: Bras ‘n’ Things, Westfield Carindale, Carindale: ~1pm to ~3pm
19 August 2020: Ghanda clothing, Westfield Carindale, Carindale: ~1pm to ~3pm
19 August 2020: Myer, Westfield Carindale, Carindale: ~1pm to ~3pm
19 August 2020: Baskin Robbins, Camp Hill Market Place, Camp Hill: ~5:30pm to ~5:40pm
19 August 2020: Pho Inn, Camp Hill Market Place, Camp Hill: ~5:30pm to ~5:40pm
20 August 2020: Woolworths, Marsden on Fifth shopping centre, Marsden: ~10am to ~10:15am
21 August 2020: Woolworths, Forest Lake Shopping centre, Forest Lake: ~10:30am to ~10:45am
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
Visitors to dozens of locations, including Westfield Carindale, a gym in Browns Plains and three Woolworths supermarkets, are being urged to monitor themselves for even the mildest of COVID-19 symptoms.
Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young on Saturday renewed pleas for people who develop even mild symptoms to get tested and stay at home while unwell.
“I can in Brisbane and in Ipswich, if you’ve got symptoms of the flu, it’s most likely to be COVID, not flu,” Dr Young said. “We’ve got very little flu in our community and we do have these seven cases of COVID.”