Nine people being treated for Covid-19 at Sunshine Coast hospital

An international traveller and eight people with locally acquired cases of Covid-19 are being treated on the Sunshine Coast, according to Queensland Health.

Queensland Health says nine people are being treated for Covid-19 at Sunshine Coast University Hospital. Picture: Lachie Millard

Queensland Health says eight of the nine people being treated for Covid-19 at Sunshine Coast University Hospital caught the virus while in the community.

The ninth patient acquired it overseas before arriving in Australia.

“Eight cases are locally acquired or linked to an identified source in Australia and one case is from an international traveller,” a Queensland Health spokeswoman said.

The department did not respond to questions regarding when the nine people tested positive or where.

Queensland Health’s website on Wednesday morning said there were 10 active cases in the region however the spokeswoman said there could be lags in reporting.

The website says there are 45 active cases statewide with the remainder being treated at Brisbane’s Metro North and South hospitals and the Gold Coast.

It comes after 10 staff at Sunshine Coast University Hospital reportedly saved the life of a patient with Covid-19 were forced into 14-day isolation.

There have been 37,076 vaccinations administered at Sunshine Coast University Hospital.

Queensland Health said the patient had suffered an anaphylactic shock and staff rushed to their aid but did not have time to put on personal protective equipment.

While the staff members became casual contacts of the patient, Queensland Health said the staff were not linked to the active cases being treated at the hospital.

Queensland Health did not say why Sunshine Coast University Hospital was being used to treat the nine people however the department has previously said it was providing support as part of a statewide approach to Covid-19 by accepting and caring for overseas acquired cases from hotel quarantine.

It comes after seven locations in Kenilworth, Noosa, Eumundi and Sunshine Beach were added to Queensland Health’s contact tracing list where an infectious person went on June 29.

The new exposure sites can be found here.