New details revealed about ‘very regrettable’ Brisbane Airport COVID breach
Brisbane Airport has revealed more details about how the alert was raised when two people from COVID hotspot PNG were allowed into the airport’s ‘green zone’. One of the people has since tested positive.
QLD News
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A “slip-up” allowing two passengers from COVID-19 hotspot Papua New Guinea into Brisbane Airport’s “green zone” has been slammed as unacceptable ahead of an urgent review into the bungle.
The breach has triggered a coronavirus scare in Queensland after one of the travellers, who were both transiting through Brisbane’s international terminal on their way to Doha, tested positive to the COVID-19 virus.
Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) has launched a review into the incident blamed by Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young on human error.
“One of their staff in the airport mistakenly directed the two individuals into the green zone part of the airport instead of keeping them in the red zone,” Dr Young said.
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“There was an error for which the staff at the airport have apologised.
“It hasn’t led to any significant risk but we have gone and investigated it thoroughly to ensure that there aren’t any problems.”
The red zone is designated for travellers from higher-risk countries, such as PNG.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said he had been advised the breach was the fault of “relatively new private staff members” employed by Brisbane Airport Corporation.
He said the Morrison Government was working with Queensland and the BAC to make sure “they do not do that again”.
“It will be (made) very clear that that is unacceptable,” Mr Hunt said.
The green and red zones were established on April 19 following the travel bubble with New Zealand.
Executive general manager of aviation at Brisbane Airport Jim Parashos described the incident as “very regrettable” and said there were lessons to be learned.
Mr Parashos said the staff member who allowed the pair through the access point had flagged the error in a meeting shortly afterwards.
“This is not about finger pointing, this was an innocent mistake,” he said.
Staff had reviewed hours of closed circuit television footage and were confident there had not been any further breaches.
“We’ve re-evaluated the process and we’re confident with the measures that have been put in place,” Mr Parashos said. “It’s unfortunate that this has occurred, but we’ll continue our training measures and we’re confident there won’t be further incidents.”
The two passengers were travelling together and arrived on a flight from Port Moresby on Thursday morning.
Dr Young has declared Brisbane Airport’s international terminal a “venue of concern”, given one had tested positive to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
She urged anyone who was in the terminal between 9.45am and midday on Thursday to get a COVID test “immediately” if the developed symptoms.
The risk to Queensland from the breach is considered “low”.
Dr Young said pathology testing suggested the infected man, who has been admitted to hospital as per Queensland Health protocols, was “right at the end of his illness”.
“He could almost be fully recovered and we know that the risk is always in that 48 hours before someone develops symptoms at the start of their illness,” she said.
“I don’t expect there to be any consequences.”
The man’s travelling companion has been placed in hotel quarantine.
They spent about two hours among about 390 passengers waiting to board three New Zealand-bound flights – Air Zealand NZ202 to Christchurch, Air New Zealand NZ146 to Auckland and Qantas QF135 to Christchurch.
But Dr Young said closed circuit television footage showed the pair spent most of that time in Hudson cafe and had minimal interaction with other people.
They wore their masks appropriately and the table was cleaned once they left.
But taking a cautious approach, Dr Young has place Hudson cafe staff who had contact with the infected traveller into quarantine.
“I can never be 100 per cent confident that even when people have followed all processes that there isn’t some remaining risk but the remaining risk is very, very low,” she said.
“It’s not an enclosed space, it’s an open cafe within the international airport.”
Dr Young said the incident highlighted how important it was to wear masks at airports.
“Both international and domestic airports are higher-risk environments,” she said.
“It’s a mandatory requirement throughout Australia in domestic and international airports that people wear masks at all times, except when they’re eating and drinking.
“We need people to comply.”
Dr Young said the two passengers had both been tested for SARS-CoV-2 before leaving PNG and were “reportedly negative”.
She said they were in the green zone “through no fault of their own”.
Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said New Zealand health authorities had been alerted to the situation.
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