Health Minister gives Covid update as Australia hits vax milestone

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath has confirmed one new local Covid case was recorded in Queensland overnight, as a Cairns woman who flew into the Northern Territory tests positive there.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath has confirmed one new local Covid case was recorded overnight, while a woman who flew from Cairns to the Northern Territory has also tested positive.

A woman from Goondiwindi was found to be positive while in home quarantine, but it is understood she was not in the community while infectious.

Acting chief health officer Peter Aitken said the woman was a close contact of an existing case.

She is being transferred from Goondiwindi to Gold Coast Hospital.

A woman has tested positive for Covid-19 after flying from Cairns to Darwin Airport. Picture: Che Chorley

Meanwhile, Ms D’Ath said further information was being sought after a woman flew from Cairns into the Northern Territory. She tested positive on Friday evening.

At this stage, Northern Territory authorities don’t believe the woman brought the virus in from Queensland and are continuing to search for the origin.

The woman was a close contact of an earlier confirmed case in the NT. She has had her first dose of Covid vaccine.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said 79.06 per cent of people have received their first dose and 66.33 per cent are fully vaccinated. The figures comes as it is confirmed that 80 per cent of eligible Australian adults now fully vaccinated.

After a tumultuous start to the vaccine rollout, Australia is now one of the most vaccinated countries in the OECD, with double-dose rates in over 16s now higher than Israel and the United States.

The milestone comes a day after Victoria and NSW brought down state borders and began allowing free travel within the two states for fully vaccinated residents.

Victoria, NSW and the ACT have already passed their individual 80 per cent double dose targets, while Queensland and WA are days away from reaching 80 per cent first dose milestones.

Queensland tightened its border controls yesterday after three local Covid cases were recorded in the border town of Goondiwindi earlier in the week.