Queensland coronavirus cases jump to 144
Queensland’s coronavirus crisis has led to a century-old tradition being cancelled for the first time, while gyms are on high alert and popular Bunnings sausage sizzles axed.
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Bunnings favourite hits a snag
BUNNINGS sausage sizzles have been cancelled until further notice due to coronavirus fears.
In a statement released by the Bunnings head office, the hardware company said they had received concerns about the availability of volunteers for the fundraisers.
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“We know our customers will be disappointed and we sincerely apologise, but we believe it is in the best interests of the local community,” the statement read.
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“We know that our sausage sizzles provide an important fundraising opportunity for community groups and we’ll be offering a $500 gift card to any community groups that have a sausage sizzle booked over the next 4 weeks to ensure they are not disadvantaged.”
Bunnings have cancelled all planned in-store activities including its Easter and Mother’s Day Family Nights, school holiday workshops and trade breakfasts.
Warning to pet owners
Hand sanitisers – in hot demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic – are toxic to pets, with owners being urged to put the sought-after products well away from their furry friends.
The germ-killing lotions typically contain ethanol which can cause alcohol poisoning in pets.
Nadia Crighton, from Pet Insurance Australia, said owners should be on the lookout for signs of distress.
“If ingested, hand sanitiser can cause issues with pets and it’s important to seek veterinary advice quickly,” Ms Crighton said.
Symptoms of poisoning include the smell of alcohol on the breath, decreased coordination, dehydration, diarrhoea and seizures.
“From your everyday pain relief to the dog getting into the rat poison, the products we keep in our homes can have a detrimental effect on our pets,” she said.
“We estimate there could be well more than 10,000 companion animals (insured and uninsured) suffering from human drug poisoning each year in Australia.”
USC locks down sport facilities
University of the Sunshine Coast will restrict access to its sport and fitness facilities from midnight on Sunday.
Acting vice-chancellor Professor Robert Elliot said the university’s stadium, aquatic facilities and gymnasiums would be off-limits to students, staff, sporting clubs and teams and community members.
Exemptions would apply only to:
•USC research and teaching activities;
•USC Sport and Exercise Science student placements that are already underway;
•USC’s three high-performance sports teams – USC Spartans Swimming team, Sunshine Coast Lightning; Pro Racing Sunshine Coast (Australian Cycling Academy).
•A limited number of High Performance Student Athlete program participants, who have existing arrangements in place with USC Sport.
Nooosa food festival cancelled
The Noosa Eat and Drink Festival has also been cancelled.
The event – a fixture on the Australian calendar for more than 15 years – was to include big name presenters including celebrity chefs Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and Manu Feildel.
The May festival had been billed as being bigger and better than ever in 2020, with a name change and move from Lions Park to the larger venue of Noosa Woods. Up to 10,000 people were tipped to attend.
Other presenters were to include Queensland’s Alastair McLeod, Matt Golinski and Matt Sinclair, and interstate chefs Neil Perry, Matt Moran and Kirsten Tibballs.
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Embattled Melbourne chef George Calombaris was on the original program but pulled out last month following the collapse of his restaurant empire and a multimillion-dollar staff underpayment scandal.
Tourism Noosa CEO Melanie Anderson said the festival was “a vital part of Noosa’s tourism economy but the health and safety of our residents and visitors must come first”.
“Our festival team will work through ticketing arrangements with full refunds being provided for guests over the oncoming weeks,” Ms Anderson said.
Noosa Eat & Drink director Sheridah Puttick said the cancellation was “heartbreaking”.
For ticket holders, details on full refunds will be on the festival website at www.noosaeatdrink.com.au
Gyms on coronavirus alert
HOSPITAL-GRADE disinfectants and specialist cleaning teams are being used at gyms in southeast Queensland in a bid to stop the coronavirus spreading through fitness centres.
It comes as gym-goers are also being urged to take extreme care by washing hands, using a towel at all times and cleaning equipment after use.
Boxing gyms have stopped lending communal gloves while bags are being wiped down between sessions.
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Anytime Fitness Newmarket club manager Hisen Hagras said extra measures were being taken at his facility to limit any potential spread of the virus.
“We have professional cleaners attending the gym every day using hospital grade disinfectants and cleaning products to ensure the facility receives a deep clean,” Mr Hagras said.
“Our staff clean and disinfect the facility every two hours.”
A Fitness First spokesperson said the company, which operates over 50 gyms across the country including at least six in Queensland, was taking the threat seriously.
“The health and wellbeing of our members and colleagues takes top priority,” the spokeswoman said.
“To date, we have had no reported confirmed cases of coronavirus in Fitness First clubs in Queensland.”
Snap Fitness, another major gym chain within Australia, took to its website to urge patrons to take measures to protect themselves and reassure them that extra cleaning measures were in place
The online statement however urged healthy people to not let the pandemic stop them from staying fit, citing a blog post claiming “exercise, when done properly, is proven to boost health.”
School sports cancelled
ALL representative school sports programs including district, regional, state, national, interstate and international competitions have been cancelled until further notice.
It comes after Queensland schools were told to cancel assemblies, arrange staggered lunch breaks and reschedule in-school gatherings.
All official overseas travel by state school students and staff was also halted last week.
Coronavirus claims 104-year-old tradition
CORONAVIRUS has forced Brisbane’s 2020 Anzac Day Parade to be officially cancelled for the first time in its 104 year history.
It will not be postponed to a different date.
The Brisbane Combined Anzac Day Parade Committee, which organises the march through the Brisbane CBD, made the decision this afternoon.
Committee president Lt Col. Wendy Taylor said the cancellation followed a ban on gatherings of more than 500 people and the risk of COVID-19 spreading through participants and spectators.
Lt Col. said many ex-servicemen and women were now over 60, putting them in the most at-risk bracket.
“Their health is a priority and although planning for the 2020 Parade had been completed, the Parade Committee felt that public health and safety must take priority.”
“Due to the detailed planning needed to co-ordinate participants, banner carriers, banners and flags, bands and animals, we did not feel that the Parade could simply be postponed to another date”, Lt. Colonel Taylor said.
“We also had to consider the health of the official guests including the Governor, the Chief Justice, the Premier, the Lord Mayor and senior Service officers”.
“Because the personnel and bands marching changed from year to year, planning would start afresh for the 2021 Parade”, she said.
A decision on this year’s Anzac Day Dawn Service at the Shrine of Remembrance in ANZAC Square, organised by the Anzac Day Commemoration Committee, is expected to be made tomorrow.
Australia Post suspends self-service terminals
AUSTRALIA Post has suspended the use of self-service terminals at post offices and parcels will no longer require a signature for delivery or collection in a bid to strengthen its defence against the spread of COVID-19.
The national delivery system yesterday (MONDAY) said it is taking action to protect the health and safety of its staff and customers by today implementing that the self service terminals at post offices will be temporarily unavailable to ensure customers and staff keep a safe distance from one another.
Parcels will also no longer require a signature for delivery or collection, whether they be at a post office or a residence.
Australia Post said in all cases, whether it be home delivery or in store collection, a staff member will ask and record the customer’s name and sign on their behalf, with the customer needing to be present for this to happen.
Contact will be minimised by either leaving the parcel at the door until the driver or postie has left the premises or left for the customer to pick up on the counter.
Rebel Gun Works manager Ron Muir said the move would significantly impact his business due to needing higher restrictions to deliver ammunition.
“If you can’t get anyone to deliver it, you can’t trade. It’s going to impact everything," he said.
Australia Post said it is also experiencing international delivery delays due to the coronavirus.
Senator unsure of coronavirus source
QUEENSLAND LNP Senator Susan McDonald, who yesterday revealed she had contracted the coronavirus, said it was unclear where she was infected.
She confirmed she had not had contact with Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, who was the first Australian politician to test positive.
Senator McDonald also advised she had not attended the Cowboys-Broncos game on Friday night or other events over the weekend.
“(I) remained in home isolation until the test results came back, after which I was admitted to hospital,” she said.
“I’m sincerely sorry for the stress and concern this has created in the community, and encourage everyone to continue observing normal personal hygiene such as washing hands thoroughly and often, keeping 1.5m distance, covering coughs and sneezes, and disposing of tissues quickly.”
She said she thanked people for their messages of support.
“I had very mild symptoms, currently feel well, and am most fortunate,” Senator McDonald said.
“I am very grateful for the specialist doctors and nurses in Townsville, their incredible skills and the support of all Townsville Hospital staff.”
Healthcare worker among 10 new cases
THE number of coronavirus cases in Queensland has jumped by 10 overnight bringing the state’s total to 78.
At least 19 fever clinics were open across the state yesterday.
A Gold Coast healthcare worker is among the latest Queenslanders to test positive to the coronavirus.
The healthcare worker based in the Robina Health Precinct tested positive to the virus over the weekend and has since been placed in isolation.
Contact tracing by health officials determined the staffer did not contract the virus at their hospital workplace.
The Public Health Unit has been in contact with people who had close contact with the infected staffer in recent days and is working to ascertain whether any of them have also contracted the virus.
It is not known which healthcare facility the staffer works at.
Queensland Health has been contacted for comment.
Meanwhile Queensland Health has purchased an extra 110 ventilators and brought forward $25 million worth of medicines, gloves and masks.
More than 1200 tests are being conducted across Queensland each day while more than 10,000 tests in public laboratories and a similar number in the private sector have been conducted.
Health Minister Steven Miles said the state would triple emergency department capacity and would double ICU capacity.
“We are testing more people per capita than most places in the world, and will continue to do so,” he said.
“All of this preparation has successfully contained the spread of the virus in Queensland so far.”
Mr Miles said current modelling suggested that “sustained community transmission” could be next month.
He urged people to seek testing only if they met the current criteria.
“That is only seek testing if you have been overseas within 14 days, or had contact with a confirmed case and, this is important … And you have symptoms.
“A cough, sore throat, fever, headache or sneezing. We cannot test people who are not unwell.”
Health officials are expected to meet tonight, before issuing new advice to shield the elderly and others most vulnerable to the virus.
It’s expected that advice will include new isolation measures.
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