Cairns Covid cases: Link confirmed between taxi driver, reef pilot
Major exposure sites of a taxi driver who tested positive to Covid-19 in Cairns have outlined their response to the situation as the city enters the second day of a three-day lockdown. It comes as authorities confirmed the link between FNQ’s two cases.
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UPDATE: Major exposure sites of a taxi driver who tested positive to Covid-19 in Cairns have outlined their response to the situation as the city enters its second day of a three-day lockdown.
Authorities on Monday confirmed the taxi driver was linked to a reef pilot who tested positive to the virus last week.
It’s believed the taxi driver acquired the virus while taking the pilot from his home to the airport for a trip to Brisbane.
Brothers Leagues Club has been listed as a “close contact” on Queensland Health’s exposure sites list.
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General manager Shane Fitzgerald said the venue was closed and deep cleaned once their gaming lounge was listed as a close contact site.
He said the Cairns community needed to rally together in “true Far North style” and stay home and get tested.
“Our thoughts are with this gentleman and his family, and we wish him a speedy recovery,” he said.
“I want to reassure our patrons that we are taking this very seriously and when permitted to reopen, we look forward to welcoming back our valued patrons.”
A spokeswoman from Cairns Taxis said they were working with Queensland Health.
“We have provided them with all trip information for the vehicle in question,” she said.
“Queensland Health will contact those that have travelled in the vehicle.”
However, Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service has advised that anyone who travelled in a taxi at the specified times between Wednesday, July 28, and Thursday, August 5, is also considered a casual contact and must immediately quarantine until they receive a negative result.
MONDAY 10.30AM: Authorities have confirmed the link between a reef pilot and a Cairns taxi driver who both tested positive to Covid in Cairns, plunging the city into a snap lockdown.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed the pilot travelled in the taxi of a cab driver who tested positive on Saturday.
It comes as Queensland recorded four new cases of community transmission overnight - but all were linked to Brisbane’s Indooroopilly cluster.
The reef pilot who tested positive in Cairns last week had an unknown strain of the Delta variant and genome sequencing has confirmed the taxi driver is linked.
Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said authorities were now scrutinising all the contacts and exposure sites of the taxi driver and reassessing all contacts of the reef pilot.
“The taxi driver acquired it from that pilot; we suspect it was when he drove that pilot from his home to the airport,” Dr Young said.
The pilot then flew to Brisbane and back, returning on July 29.
She reiterated the importance of Cairns residents getting tested if they had any symptoms.
“It’s really important that people in Cairns get tested - don’t wait for a call from Queensland Health,” she said.
More than 970 people were tested in Queensland Health facilities in Cairns on Sunday, with numbers from private testing clinics still to be confirmed.
Ms Palaszczuk said it was really important for Cairns residents to be staying home and only going out for essential purposes.
She said she knew the Cairns community would “step up” during this time, with all contacts of the taxi driver now being contact traced and going into home quarantine.
“We want to make sure we get all contacts into home quarantine to keep the community safe,” she said.
MONDAY 9AM: Genomic sequencing on a cab driver who tested positive to Covid-19 is likely to confirm a link to the reef pilot who brought the Delta strain to the Far North, authorities say.
As Cairns and Yarrabah enter their first full day of a three-day lockdown, Cairns MP Michael Healy said identifying the source of the infection was the top priority as contact tracers scrambled to identify all contacts.
Hundreds of people queued for Covid tests in the city on Sunday.
Mr Healy said early indications were the two positive cases were linked.
“That will be a good thing, because we will know where the infection has come from and it’s crucial we identify the source of the infection,” he said.
“At the moment, once the genomic sequencing has been completed we will be able to confirm if there is a link between the taxi driver and the reef pilot.
“The massive thing right now, and I can’t stress this enough, is we must get people tested.
The taxi driver was transferred to Brisbane this morning to be taken to a specific Covid-19 ward.
“Because the Delta strain is such a virulent and infectious strain, the policy is to get them out of our hospital and get them down to Brisbane,” he said.
Queensland chief medical officer Dr Jeannette Young urged anyone suspected of being a close contact to come forward, get tested and provide information about places they have visited.
“If anyone in Cairns has the slightest symptoms it is really important to go and get tested, that’s the most important message,” she said.
Dr Young said the taxi driver was not vaccinated and his close family contacts had been “unwell”.
“We are concerned … and we are testing household members to see if they are positive,” she said.
Schools in Yarrabah and Cairns will be closed to all but essential workers and at-risk children. There will be no face-to-face instruction.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the source of the infection was being investigated, and vital contact tracing was underway.
“Going hard and fast with a lockdown in South East Queensland has allowed us to get on top of the virus,” the Premier said.
“We need this in Cairns and Yarrabah so we can get on top of it there too.”
For the next three days the only valid reason to leave home is to collect essential goods (within 10km) exercise, essential work, assisting vulnerable people and obtaining a Covid-19 test or vaccination.
Non-essential businesses will be required to shut down, including recreation venues, hairdressers, beauty and personal care services, gyms and places of worship.
There are 21 pharmacy locations across the Cairns LGA in addition to state-run clinics where Covid vaccinations can be booked.
Masks must taken when leaving the home, to be worn indoors-outdoors and while exercising unless there’s a lawful reason not to.
Originally published as Cairns Covid cases: Link confirmed between taxi driver, reef pilot
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