Coronavirus Qld: Latest case details a day after national hotspot status revoked

Queensland is on track to lift all COVID-19 restrictions on Friday after one new case was recorded in hotel quarantine, while NSW is against the clock to track down the sources of nine unlinked cases.

Queensland is on track to lift all COVID-19 restrictions on Friday after one new case was recorded in hotel quarantine.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk revealed a woman had tested positive in hotel quarantine after flying in from Brazil.

Ms Palaszczuk said restrictions currently implemented across Greater Brisbane, including mandatory wearing of masks and patron limits, were set to be lifted after no new community cases.

“If we keep this track happening now it’s more than likely all of those restrictions will be removed,” she said.

Sydney remains a hotspot from a Queensland point of view and Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said it would remain the case until the end of the month when a review of the declaration is scheduled.

At this stage, Dr Young said she would not be willing to remove the hotspot declaration until all unlinked cases had been linked.

“If you go onto their own website they say they have nine unlinked cases in the last week,” she said.

In the past 24 hours 5173 COVID-19 tests were undertaken.

The state has not had a case of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in the community since January 7.

Dr Young said no other cases related to the Hotel Grand Chancellor cluster had been recorded. That outbreak remains at six cases.

Dr Young said it would be a few more days before she is “totally confident” the highly-contagious UK strain has not spread through the community.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said 864 tests of contacts of people involved in the Grand Chancellor cluster had been performed with no more cases recorded.

Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said Queenslanders’ ongoing compliance to the latest restrictions had been good.

Mandatory mask wearing for Greater Brisbane residents in situations, such as at shopping centres and on public transport, will continue until at least 1am Friday.

Mr Gollschewski said 40 people were away from Queensland’s borders in the past 24 hours.

Victoria and South Australia yesterday opened back up to the region following earlier concern the UK strain linked to the Hotel Grand Chancellor could spread nationally.

It came as Brisbane again recorded no new cases of community transmission, instead recording two cases in hotel quarantine.

Health Minister Greg Hunt praised the Queensland government, medical workers, pathologists and the Queensland community for their extraordinary response, which meant the hotspot designation could be lifted.

LATEST RESTRICTIONS AND HEALTH ALERTS

Until 1am, Friday January 22:

MASKS

Must be worn in indoor places, including shopping centres and supermarkets, gyms, workplaces where people cannot socially distance and where it is safe to do so, places of worship, libraries, public transport, taxis and ride share vehicles.

Must be carried at all times.

Are not required to be worn when outdoors at a safe distance from other people (for example, walking a dog), in private vehicles or doing

strenuous exercise.

BUSINESSES AND VENUES

Indoors: 1 person
per 4sq m

Outdoors:
1 person per 2sq m

Seated eating and drinking only

Smaller venues up to 200sq m: 1 person per 2sq m up to a maximum of 50

No dancing except

for weddings

GATHERINGS

Up to 20 in homes and public spaces

Weddings: Up to 100. No restrictions on dancing

Funerals: Up to 100

Indoor concert venues or theatres: 50% capacity, or 1 person per 4sq m – whichever is greater

Outdoor stadiums: 50% capacity with COVIDSafe plans

Restrictions on visits to hospitals, aged care, disability accommodation and prisons remain.

QUEENSLAND HEALTH ALERTS FOR TESTING:

SOUTHSIDE BRISBANE (RELATED TO CLEANER AND PARTNER)

Two sites were added to the contact tracing list after the quarantine hotel cleaner’s partner tested positive on Monday.

Anyone who visited Bunnings Warehouse in Acacia Ridge from 2pm to 2:40pm on Tuesday, January 5, and Sunnybank Cellars in Sunnybank Hills from 2:05pm to 2:15pm on Wednesday, January 6, has been urged to get tested and quarantine at home for 14 days regardless of the outcome.

An urgent public health alert was issued late on Saturday evening, ordering anyone who had visited Coles at Sunnybank Hills Shoppingtown on January 5, 7.30am-8am, or Woolworths Calamvale North on January 3, 11am-noon to get tested and quarantine for 14 days, regardless of the test result.

The Public Health Unit confirmed anyone who attended these venues at these times was now considered to be a close contact with a Brisbane quarantine hotel cleaner who tested positive to the UK variant.

The Nextra newsagency at Sunnybank Hills was also added to this list of “critical importance”.

Authorities have also asked anybody on the Altandi to Roma St Station train at 7am on January 2 and Central to Altandi train at 4pm on January 2 to get tested.

MALENY (RELATED TO PASSENGER FROM MELBOURNE)

Health alerts have been issued for three venues in Maleny after a woman flew from Melbourne to Brisbane and then drove to the Sunshine Coast hinterland town on January 5. The woman also had the UK mutant strain of COVID-19 and had been in quarantine in Melbourne for 10 days before being allowed to fly but has since tested positive for the virus. At the time 10 days was the required quarantine period and no exit test was required.

Dr Young said the risk was “extremely low” but said Queensland Health wanted to be cautious.

Queensland Health has urged anyone who visited the Cappriccios Italian Pizza Restaurant on January 6, between 6.30pm and 7pm, to get tested.

They have also issued the same advice for those who visited Purple Palate Cellars between 4.15pm and 4.25pm on January 7 as well as the Maleny Woolworths supermarket on the same day between 4.30pm and 4.50pm.

Anyone in the Maleny area with any symptoms has also been urged to come forward for testing.

Dr Young said health authorities wanted to test passengers on Jetstar flight JQ570 but she said Queensland Health had already contacted all passengers.