Sunshine Coast records one new Covid-19 case with man in community

‘It’s still out there’. Fresh details have emerged of where a man infected with Covid-19 went in the Sunshine Coast community for five days. Read the latest here:

The manager of a Sunshine Coast venue where a man infected with Covid-19 visited says the scare should serve as a timely reminder that the virus is “still out there”.

The Imperial Hotel at Eumundi was one of three Sunshine Coast places added to Queensland Health’s list of exposure sites where the man visited last week.

The hotel’s bottle shop and Dan Murphy’s and Coles at Coolum were all listed by Queensland Health under low risk contacts.

Imperial Hotel manager Paul Thomas said the bottle shop had been cleaned and was able to remain open, based on the advice of Queensland Health.

Mr Thomas said the man had only passed through briefly.

“It was just in our drive through bottle shop at night, we had one staff member on,” Mr Thomas said.

“He just went inside and got a bottle of wine.

“But yes, it is a reminder that it is still out there.”

The Imperial Hotel manager Paul Thomas said the Covid-19 scare was of low risk.

It was understood the man, aged in his 60s, had been double vaccinated and had visited several locations in Sunnybank, Brisbane, News Corp reported.

Queensland Health has been unable to answer questions put to the department regarding what variant of the virus the man had or when and where he tested positive.

Speaking at Monday’s Covid-19 press conference, Queensland’s new chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said the man had spent time in the Sunshine Coast community between December 8 and December 12.

“The man acquired his infection at a known site in northern NSW,” Dr Gerrard said.

“We are currently investigating where this gentleman has been but it appears he has not had a great deal of contact in the public domain.”

Where the man went on the Sunshine Coast

Queensland Health has added three Sunshine Coast places to its list of exposure sites.

Wednesday, December 8, Imperial Hotel Eumundi bottle shop between 7.25-7.45pm (low risk contact).

Friday, December 10, Coles Supermarket, Coolum Beach between 4.30-5pm (low risk contact).

Friday, December 10, Dan Murphy’s Coolum Beach between 4.50-5.20pm (low risk contact).

Queensland Health’s advice for people potentially exposed to a low risk contact is to get tested, isolate at home and monitor symptoms.

New chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said a man was infectious with Covid-19 on the Sunshine Coast. Picture: Liam Kidston

Queensland has recorded four new Covid cases – including a case of Omicron – in the past 24 hours.

Dr Gerrard said all of the new cases were in hotel quarantine, with three from northern NSW and another from overseas.

None of the four cases had been infectious in the community.

It comes after a person or persons infectious with Covid visited the Buddina IGA and Maroochydore Bunnings on December 5 and 6.