Qld Covid-19 update: One new local case as authorities trace source of Gold Coast cluster
A new Covid case may be the missing link in the Gold Coast outbreak as fines for unvaccinated customers who abuse staff surge to $13,000.
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Customers who attack pub, cafe and restaurant staff once the December 17 vaccine mandate begins will face huge fines as the missing link to a Covid outbreak on the Gold Coast is revealed.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath today announced people who become abusive and deliberately spit, cough or sneeze on hospitality workers will face $1378 on-the-spot fines or up to $13,000 and six months’ jail if convicted in court.
It follows widespread concern from business about the response they’ll face when they turn away unvaccinated customers from December 17.
The Government is also offering a TAFE course for businesses on how to handle aggressive patrons.
Queensland has recorded one new community case of Covid, a person who is thought to have travelled from NSW to the Gold Coast.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said the person in today’s local case could be the source of the Gold Coast cluster.
Deputy chief health officer Peter Aitken said Queensland Health believes the Gold Coast case may have travelled interstate and been the source of the Gold Coast cluster.
He said the “more important” part of the cluster news was that Queenslanders need to be aware that people can be out in the community in the incubation period.
“If you’re going into a crowded place, think about wearing a mask,” he said.
“When we are out and about in the community, there may be other people incubating covid, or who are about to test positive to Covid.”
There are 87.3 per cent of people with a first dose and 78.6 per cent with two jabs.
Ms D’Ath said first doses had slowed and she encouraged people to be vaccinated.
One infected person on the Gold Coast worked at an aged care facility, and 89 tests from that facility are negative.
She reiterated that high-risk businesses including bars, restaurants, pubs and entertainment facilities must have staff fully vaccinated by December 17.
Queensland Government-owned facilities will also require visitors to be vaccinated.
Public transport, doctors and supermarkets will not require visitors to be vaccinated.
Queensland Hotels Association boss Bernie Hogan said Monday would be an “interesting day”.
He said his members were “well and truly ready for this” and was looking forward to welcoming people.
Queensland Police Service Commissioner Katarina Carroll said it was important patrons, businesses and the community do the right thing.
She said businesses could ask customers to leave the premises and could call police if needed.
Ms Carroll welcomed the extension of the offence for deliberately spitting, coughing or sneezing on a worker.
The Commissioner said police had done 4500 business compliance checks since August, which would continue.
Earlier today, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk called for Covid testing of international travellers who arrive in Brisbane’s Airports “even at 90 per cent” vaccination rates.
The Premier said she would ask Prime Minister Scott Morrison to give Queensland Health permission to test travellers the moment they step off the plane.
“It would give us an added layer of security to know they’ve had that additional test,” she said.
Ms Palaszczuk told breakfast television a growing number of Covid cases could shock residents when the state opens on December 13 - but said it was time to live with the virus.
“Queenslanders aren’t used to that, but they’re going to have to get used to it,” she said.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath told Brisbane radio that contact tracing, exposure site lists and quarantine would stay for “as long as we possibly can”.
“All of the modelling, all of the advice from the World Health Organisation and the experts say that you can open up your economy and your communities and your borders as long as you can continue to test, trace, isolate and quarantine,” she said.
“We’re still going to get (Covid-19) and it’s still going to move through the community but we want to slow it down as much as we can.”
She said modelling roughly showed Queensland could reach its peak of cases around March or April, but the Omicron variant meant that could come sooner.
It comes after exposure sites were listed in Cairns on Monday night after an international traveller flew via interstate.
“I’m confident that at this stage we don’t have any community transmission up there.”
The Premier did not rule out future lockdowns, but said the state’s high vaccination rates made them unlikely.
Ms Palaszczuk insisted travellers could trust her not to slam the border closed again.
“They should feel confident, Queenslanders have done a great job,” she said.
“We’re not shutting the border.”
She said travellers must get a test on day five in Queensland, which Ms Palaszczuk said “we apologise for it, but we do need to do it”.
However, when questioned about the pace of Queensland’s vaccination rate, Ms Palaszczuk said she was confident the state would reach 90 per cent.
“The numbers have not really slowed down,” she said.
Her comment appeared to contradict Health Minister Yvette D’Ath, who on Monday said “the first doses have slowed a little”.
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