Coronavirus Qld: One new QLD case as MCG declared COVID-19 exposure site

The MCG has been declared a potential COVID-19 exposure site after an infected man attended the Boxing Day test. It comes as QLD records one new case.

Queensland has recorded one new coronavirus case overnight as Victoria goes on high alert after a man who attended day two of the cricket at the MCG tested positive to COVID-19.

Queensland’s new coronavirus case was acquired overseas and detected in hotel quarantine. It takes the state’s total to 18 active cases.

Meanwhile, the MCG has been listed as a potential exposure site after the Victorian man who tested positive for the virus visited the sporting ground on Day 2 of the Boxing Day Test.

The man, aged in his 30s, attended Chadstone on Boxing Day and then the MCG on December 27 and sat in the Great Southern Stand zone 5 on level four between 12.30pm and 3.30pm.

A man has tested positive to COVID-19 after attending the Boxing Day cricket Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Pic: Michael Klein

He shopped at Chadstone from 6am to 2pm with several shops pinpointed as possible acquisition sites, including Culture Kings, Huffer, JD Sports, Jay Jays, H&M, Uniqlo, Myer, Superdry, Footlocker and Dumplings Plus.

The Victorian Health department has listed both the MCG and Chadstone Shopping Centre as potential acquisition sites.

They say the man was not infectious during the visits but his case is being treated as a mystery and authorities fear he may have contracted it from an undiagnosed case during the outings.

The man developed symptoms on December 30 before health authorities received news of his positive test on January 5.

Genomic testing is underway to determine if the case is linked to the Black Rock cluster, and if there is a link to the New South Wales outbreak.

Deputy chief health officer Allen Cheng said they were pursuing several avenues of investigation.

“Just to reinforce, this person was not infectious at the Boxing Day sales or the MCG,” he said.

“We are worried more about who might have given him the infection at that point of time.

“For people who were present at both [the cricket and Chadstone shopping centre] are being asked to test, they don’t need to quarantine for the full period.

“They just need to get tested and wait for the result, and if that’s negative, then they can continue on what they’re doing.”

Victoria has recorded three new coronavirus cases today, one of them locally acquired.

Sydney recorded four new local cases - two were connected to the Berala cluster. One is a household contact of a case in Avalon, while another case is still under investigation.

It comes as Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young has issued an urgent call for people in Warwick, Stanthorpe, Cairns and Loganholme to get tested for coronavirus if they fall even mildly ill, after viral fragments were found in their sewerage systems.

Queensland Health performed almost 20,000 tests for the pandemic virus in the latest 48-hour testing period after Dr Young’s rallying call for anyone who had been in Victoria on or since December 21 to get tested.

She said she was concerned about the latest positive results for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, from sewage collected on December 29 and 30, particularly given outbreaks in NSW and Victoria.

“A positive sewage result means that someone who has been infected was shedding the virus,” Dr Young said.

“Infected people can shed viral fragments and that shedding can happen for several weeks after the person is no longer infectious.

“While this doesn’t necessarily mean we have new cases of COVID-19 in these communities, I am treating this with absolute caution given the emerging situation across several other states.”

Dr Young said people living in the Warwick, Stanthorpe, Loganholme and Cairns communities should get tested immediately if they developed even mild symptoms of COVID-19.

She said anyone who had been to Victoria or hot spots in NSW should get tested regardless of whether they had any symptoms.

“If there is a case in the community, it is critical we detect it through our testing mechanisms as quickly as possible to contain any potential spread and protect the great progress Queensland has made in recent months,” Dr Young said.

Queensland Health has increased COVID-19 clinic numbers and bolstered staff levels to cope with the surge in testing.

With some clinics requiring bookings, the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service has also improved call centre staffing levels and the number of incoming phone lines to cater for the jump in demand.

“We acknowledge there were issues at the weekend with our registration process for COVID-19 testing at our health service testing locations,” a Sunshine Coast HHS spokeswoman said.

“These issues were caused by an influx of more than 18,000 to our registration phone line in a 12-hour period.”

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