Ipswich Covid cases rise to 256: Claims positive case at Probe Group/Springfield GE building

Positive Covid-19 cases continue to soar in Ipswich despite a lack of information on new contact sites, and now Queensland Health has responded to reports that a business tower at Springfield was exposed to the virus.

Probe Group workers at Springfield’s GE building claim they were directed to get tested and isolate on Christmas Eve after a person infected with Covid-19 visited the major business hub.

GE Building, Springfield. (AAP Image/Renae Droop)

As of Tuesday, December 28, Ipswich’s Covid-19 cases rose to 256.

Of those cases 160 are still being investigated with 50 being acquired locally, 32 from overseas arrivals, two interstate travellers, and 12 cases remain unknown.

According to a post on social media, those working on level five of Springfield’s GE building were deemed a close contact leaving residents scrambling for a testing clinic on Christmas Eve when most were shut.

Thousands of employees across a range of industries work at Springfield’s GE multi-level high-rise building.

A worker on level four expressed concern as to why they weren’t deemed a close contact as she and others shared the same breakroom as those who had been exposed on level five.

The Queensland Times asked Queensland Health to confirm if Springfield’s GE building had been an exposure site and if so how many people had been exposed?

A Queensland Health spokeswoman said the department was too busy to provide information on any new Ipswich contact tracing sites.

“Given the rising number of cases, we’re unable to continue to provide detailed information on individual cases beyond what may be provided at the daily press conference,” the spokeswoman said.

“To seek to do so would pull our contact tracers off the important public health work they are doing identifying exposure venues.

“Any heightened or unique risks to the community will be communicated through press conferences, social media updates, and through public health alerts.”

The Ipswich City Council also announced the Orion Lagoon was recently exposed to Covid-19 despite the location not being listed on Queensland Health’s contact tracing exposure sites.

The spokeswoman said where possible, Queensland Health would contact at-risk people, although if they can’t get a hold of the person, the list of exposure sites would be updated online.

“However, as case numbers grow into the hundreds and potentially thousands per day it won’t be feasible to continue to attempt to contact trace every contact of every case, particularly in lower risk situations,” she said.

“It may also mean not every exposure venue is published on our website.”

West Moreton Health acting Chief Executive Matthew Tallis said West Moreton Health’s Public Health Unit and Incident Management Team were working to support COVID-19 positive people in our region.

“Vaccination rates in our region are improving, and we are well-positioned to respond to what we know will be an increase in COVID-19 cases across Queensland now the borders are open,” Dr Tallis said.

“We are also supporting COVID-19-well patients through a virtual hospital model that allows them to recover in their home.”

Probe Group and GE (General Electric Company Queensland) were contacted for comment and did not respond.