Sunshine Coast Covid: Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announces two new local cases in Queensland

A truck driver who lives on the Sunshine Coast is one of two new local cases of Covid-19 recorded in Queensland which have been linked to the major outbreak in NSW.

The Sunshine Coast has been linked to one of two new local cases of Covid-19 recorded in Queensland overnight but health authorities say there is a minimal risk to the community.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the state had recorded six new cases on Tuesday, including one in hotel quarantine, three on a marine vessel and two truck drivers who acquired the virus in the community.

The two local cases are under investigation after they tested positive in New South Wales.

Ms Palaszczuk said the new cases weren’t considered a major risk.

“They have essentially not been to many places at all, they’ve mainly been with family,” she said.

“We are not overly concerned about these two.”

Chief health officer Jeannette Young said both cases were detected by NSW authorities but the men had since tested negative in Queensland.

She said one lived on the Sunshine Coast and the other was from the Somerset region.

Dr Young said exposure sites visited by the truck drivers would be released by Queensland Health and urged people to check them as soon as they went live.

Tuesday 24 August – coronavirus cases in Queensland:

2* new local cases - under investigation.

4 new overseas acquired cases.

*Both new local cases returned positive tests in NSW and have since tested negative in Queensland. They are currently under investigation.#covid19pic.twitter.com/mVUB0gn1LV

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) August 24, 2021

“I think the risk is very low,” Dr Young said.

“One stayed overnight in St George so we will be putting up a number of exposure sites.”

She said there was minimal risk to the Sunshine Coast community but asked residents to get tested if they had any symptoms.

Dr Young said they were tested as part of the surveillance program in Australia which requires truck drivers to be tested every seven days.

She thanked the men for doing the right thing, who she said maintained social distancing at all times and stayed at home when they weren’t driving the trucks.

Dr Young said it was a reminder that a Covid case could “turn up anywhere” in Queensland.

“I don’t want to be standing up here when we’ve got an outbreak saying ‘now’s the time to get vaccinated’, because that’s too late,” she said.

Dr Young said at this stage the two new cases won’t affect the easing of restrictions on Friday.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath urged anyone who travels across borders to get vaccinated as they are most at risk.

“This is not a southeast Queensland issue, this is a Queensland issue,” she said.

“Everyone has to hit that target. We want everyone to be vaccinated.”