Covid Qld: Covid case numbers revealed amid outbreak fears

The Premier has allayed early fears of a lockdown as she praised the actions of the mother of the schoolgirl who tested positive after she got her tested because of a headache, but she warned things could change rapidly and the next 24 hours are absolutely critical after five new cases were recorded.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has confirmed five new locally acquired cases were recorded overnight, allaying early fears there would be a lockdown, but she warned the next 24 hours are absolutely critical.

The five cases are from the same family, living in two separate households, which Ms Palaszczuk said was “absolutely good news”.

Three other cases – all acquired overseas – were detected in hotel quarantine.

🚨There is currently over an hour and a half wait times at the COVID-19 testing clinic at the Community Health Centre, 51 McKechnie Drive, Eight Mile Plains.

— Queensland Ambulance (@QldAmbulance) September 11, 2021

Ms Palaszczuk said people needed to be vigilant, with the next 48 hours critical to avoiding further outbreak and a possible lockdown.

“This is the time we need everyone to step up,” she said.

The Premier said the girl at the centre of the cluster was taken to get tested after complaining of a headache, with authorities quick to commend her mother for taking such swift action.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. NCA NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

The source of the cluster could be a visitor who came to the father’s home from New South Wales.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said health authorities were not yet aware whether or not the man who travelled from NSW was allowed to be in Queensland.

“We know the man stayed at the father’s house for one night, we don’t yet know if he was allowed to be there but we have been doing interviews since late last night” Dr Young said.

Dr Young confirmed in relation to the new cluster that one household was in Moorooka and the other in Sunnybank.

Dr Young said testing is most important because she doesn’t want someone who is out in the community to begin a new cluster.

She said mask-wearing was so important, along with QR codes as they make “an enormous difference” in comparison to contact tracing a year ago.

Dr Young said contact tracing was the key to avoiding lockdown.

Ms Palaszczuk said people in the suburbs around Garden City at Mt Gravatt should monitor their symptoms and get tested if they develop even minor symptoms.

We are very hopeful we’ve been able to identify the source and get on this very quickly

“To identify this so early has been a godsend,” she said.

Dr Young commended the mother who got her daughter tested so quickly, meaning the state could get on top of the potential outbreak.

She said all five members of the family across two households were positive with the Delta strain.

Genome sequencing found the cases are likely linked to New South Wales - with a visitor staying with the family overnight on Father’s Day.

Dr Young said because the virus had been identified in the first generation, “so early”, the state was able to avoid a lockdown.

She said Griffith University and St Thomas Moore school had notified people of the cases.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said people mustn’t hesitate and should get tested with any symptoms.

Dr Young said aged care facilities, disability services and prisons in southern Brisbane would have limited visitors.

She said the sectors weren’t vaccinated enough.

The Queensland Ambulance Service has opened a 24-hour COVID-19 testing clinic at the Community Health Centre, 51 McKechnie Drive, Eight Mile Plains.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said “vigilance is everything” as she urged Queenslanders to get vaccinated, get tested, and adhere to social distancing measures across the state, but particularly in the south Brisbane and north Logan areas.

“Please everybody, now is the time to do the right thing to keep yourself and your family safe,” she said.

“Check in everywhere you go, we can’t afford these delays.”

There were more than 11,000 tests in the past 24 hours and said 55.4 per cent of people have had their first vaccine.

It comes following the discovery of “multiple” cases on Friday.

Multiple people have now been confirmed as infectious in the community following the diagnosis of a 13-year-old St Thomas More College student, which also led to confirmation of a case in a Griffith University staff member late on Friday.

The university said the employee was a close family contact of the 13-year-old school student.

St Thomas More College acting principal Karen Mulcahy on Friday night alerted parents “multiple people” who attended the school had now tested positive.

“The Metro South Public Health Unit is currently working closely with the school to urgently assess the situation,” the letter to parents read.

Anyone who attended the school this week has been told to immediately quarantine.

Queensland Health urges people to check the website daily, as new sites may be added.