Ipswich City Council mayor Teresa Harding urges the public to get tested for Covid-19 as new cases are recorded in SEQ

Ipswich is among 11 regions where Covid-19 restrictions – including the wearing of masks – have been continued following five new cases.

IPSWICH Mayor Teresa Harding has again urged her “disciplined” community to get tested and vaccinated after it was revealed a positive Covid-19 case visited a busy local shopping centre last week.

A new purpose-built fever clinic will open to the public on the weekend with restrictions in southeast Queensland extended for another week.

The Ipswich Hospital fever clinic has operated from the Jubilee Building opposite the emergency department entrance since March last year but that space will revert to clinical use.

West Moreton Health will open its new clinic in Court Street, near the East Street entrance, on Saturday.

Cr Harding stressed it was a low risk case but anyone with symptoms should be tested immediately.

“We’ve never had any community transmission in Ipswich,” Cr Harding said.

“We’ve always come out in droves to get tested.

“My understanding from Queensland Health when I spoke to them (on Wednesday) was there was an international traveller who transited to overseas and when they went through the normal isolation quarantine overseas they were found to be positive for Covid.

“It’s most likely they’ve caught it in transit.

“Please get vaccinated.”

Ipswich Hospital’s new fever clinic is a demountable which was built off-site and lowered into place by crane in June.

It will be open seven days a week and appointments are not required.

West Moreton Health chief operating officer Matthew Tallis said patient and staff safety were key considerations in deciding the location and design of the new fever clinic.

“This clinic will enable West Moreton Health staff to conduct tests in a safe and secure way, and it will improve patient flow,” he said.

“The new clinic will be easily accessible for consumers with wheelchairs and prams, and it has a dedicated drop-off zone.”

The Ipswich Hospital Museum, which closed to make room for the fever clinic, will return to the Jubilee Building when it reopens after renovations.

The Living Well and Crisis Space support teams will also move into the Jubilee Building when renovations are complete.

Ipswich is among 11 regions in which masks will remain mandatory, following five new Covid-19 cases across Southeast Queensland.

The new cases were confirmed on Thursday morning, with three understood to have been contracted in the community.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said a 12-year-old boy from Newport and his father tested positive after the boy and his mother returned to Australia from travelling.

She said the boy had travelled to the United States for three months before returning to Sydney on June 21.

After quarantining, he returned to Brisbane on July 9 but developed symptoms on Wednesday.

His result came back positive and his father, who also underwent testing, has also been confirmed to have Covid-19.

A fully-vaccinated airport worker has also tested positive to the virus.

Restrictions have been extended for another week as health officials race to complete contact tracing.

Local government areas – including Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Moreton Bay, Scenic Rim, Somerset, Noosa, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Logan, and Redlands – were due for restrictions to end on Friday at 6am prior to the extension.

READ MORE: ‘It’s safe to come back’: Business responds to latest Ipswich Covid scare

READ MORE: Positive case visited shops, services club

Read more stories by Lachlan McIvor here and Ebony Graveur here.