Delta-infected flight attendant sick for a week before getting tested

Queensland health authorities have said they must act fast if they are to prevent a Covid outbreak linked to a flight attendant who tested positive to the highly contagious Delta variant.

Health officials have been left scrambling to contain another Covid crisis after an airline flight attendant roamed thousands of kilometres across Queensland while infected with the highly-contagious Delta strain.

Authorities are desperate to avoid another lockdown, but face an anxious wait on hundreds of test results after it emerged a Qantas attendant crewed on six flights across regional Queensland while infectious before visiting restaurants, shops, liquor stores and even a Gold Coast theme park – after calling in sick to work.

It comes as Queensland records no new cases of Covid in the past 24 hours.

Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon urged residents to remain vigilant after a flight attendant tested positive to the Delta variant yesterday.

“Obviously a new case is concerning and we have to act quickly,” she said.

“I ask everyone to remain vigilant, keep checking those updated locations and make sure you’re wearing your mask.”

More that 14,000 people were tested for the virus in the past 24 hours.

There are 21 active cases in the state.

The fresh scare has put ten suburbs and regional towns including Longreach, Gladstone, Hervey Bay the Gold Coast and Brisbane’s northern suburbs on tenterhooks.

The Banyo-based attendant, aged in her 30s, is now in hospital, but questions have been raised after she inexplicably failed to get tested for more than a week after developing symptoms.

Health authorities have no idea how she got it, but say she has the same Delta variant circling Sydney.

She was tested on Wednesday and received a positive result on Thursday afternoon.

She fell ill on July 13, but authorities are concerned about the two previous days, when she was already infectious and worked on flights from Brisbane to Longreach, Gladstone and Hervey Bay with a combined 267 people on board.

Vehicles lined up at the Hervey Bay fever clinic on Friday.

While chief health officer Jeannette Young initially said yesterday the woman had told authorities she largely stayed home, it later emerged she visited Broadbeach restaurant Koi on July 14, Dreamworld two days later and the Sandstone Point Hotel on Sunday.

She also attended Banyo Retail Centre on July 16.

It is understood she had been rostered on for shifts but called in sick once she became unwell.

The unbelievable chain of events has sent hundreds of people from across the state to testing centres as Queensland police officers returned to border checkpoints to keep the virus – now wreaking havoc across three states, at bay.

Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young said the delay of more than a week in getting tested was far from ideal as contact tracers scramble to manage another potential cluster.

“I would have far preferred that she got tested on the 13th of July, of course I would of,” she said.

A queue at Gladstone Base Hospital for Covid testing on Friday.

Dr Young said an enormous amount of testing had been conducted in Queensland in recent weeks and the latest confirmed case wasn’t “making sense”.

“We’re up to 10 outbreaks now in Queensland that are still active,” she said.

“So I’d be reasonably comfortable that we’ve not seen other unlinked cases out there that might be related to this flight attendant.

“I just need more information.

“It’s not actually making sense to me that we’ve got this and we’ve not had other cases because we know with the Delta variant … it usually spreads within two days.

“I would have expected there would have been spread and then spread and then spread

and I’ve not seen that.

Acting Premier Steven Miles said it was “absolutely urgent” that every passenger on the flights was tested.

“Given this is some time ago, if we can get all of the passengers tested that will give a picture of whether there is a greater risk here than we’re currently aware of,” he said.

The Covid testing line-up in Longreach Picture: Emily Bielenberg

Last night, Queensland Health said 250 passengers on the flight had been contacted and 166 tested.

Qantas released a statement on Friday saying the airline was working with Queensland Health to contact customers and crew on the flights.

“The crew member has not worked since 11-12 July (10+ days ago) and did not develop symptoms until 13 July,” the statement said.

“The crew member is currently in self-isolation and we are providing them our full support as they focus on their recovery.

“Investigations by Queensland Health and Qantas Medical are underway to determine how the crew member contracted the virus.”

The cabin crew member did not leave the airport in Longreach or Hervey Bay, but stayed at the Mercure Hotel in Gladstone on the night of July 11 before flying back to Brisbane the following day.

Other crew who operated the flights have been deemed close contacts and must isolate until 14 days since they last worked together, which is three more days.

Health officials are also trying to learn more about the woman’s visits to the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.

She ate lunch at popular Broadbeach restaurant Koi from about 1.50pm to 2.50pm on Wednesday, July 14.

Koi is still trading but is now following directives from Queensland Health to reach out to diners who may have come into contact with the woman last week.

The Delta-infected woman (not pictured) visited Dreamworld. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Dreamworld has been listed as a “low-risk” exposure site after the woman visited the theme park on July 16.

Theme park management is studying CCTV footage to determine if any staffers came into close contact with the woman during her visit.

In a statement, a spokesman for Dreamworld said staff were working to establish any contact with the infected visitor.

“Dreamworld’s number one priority is the health and safety of guests and team members,

and the park operates under a Queensland Health approved Covid Safe Plan,” the statement said.

“Dreamworld team members who came into direct contact with the positive guest are being

identified, asked to isolate immediately and to present a negative test result before

returning to work.”

Regional Development Minister Glenn Butcher was on one of the flights between Brisbane and Gladstone.

He has tested negative but needs to remain in home quarantine.