Qld health issues alerts about multiple sites visited by infected woman from Sydney’s northern beaches cluster

Queensland health authorities have issued alerts for a list of new places visited by an infected woman who flew into the state from Sydney.

Queensland health authorities have added a number of venues to a contact tracing alert after a woman infected with coronavirus travelled into the state from Sydney.

The patient, in her 50s, linked to the cluster on Sydney’s northern beaches was infected when she flew into Brisbane on Virgin flight VA925 landing about 9.30am on Wednesday.

Queensland Health has now issued new alerts about places the woman visited across Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.

The woman is said to have visited these places on Wednesday December 16:

• Virgin flight VA925, Sydney to Brisbane – Arrival time 9.00am/9.30am
• Brisbane Domestic Airport, Brisbane City – 9.00am/09.30am to 09.54am
• Hertz Car Rental, 1980 Sandgate Road, Boondall – 10.00am (Exchanged vehicle at 10.15am) to 10.30am
• The Glen Hotel, Eight Mile Plains – 11:00am to 2.30pm (Any patrons after 2:30pm should continue to monitor for symptoms and get tested if any develop)
• Sunshine Coast University Hospital, Birtinya – 5pm to 8.30pm
• Kawana Waters Nightcap Hotel, Buddina – 9.00pm to 7.00am the following day
• Hungry Jacks, Kawana Waters – 8.00pm to 10.00pm

Northern Beaches local residents line up the Avalon Recreation Centre for COVID-19 testing. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

She also visited these places on Thursday December 17:

• Hertz Car Rental, 1980 Sandgate Road, Boondall – 8.30am (Exchanged vehicle at 8.55am) to 9.00am
• The Prince Charles Hospital Fever Clinic, Chermside – 10.19am to 10.26am
• Coles Express, Mooloolaba – 7.00am to 7.30am

The woman travelled to the Sunshine Coast from Brisbane and stayed overnight at a hotel before returning to Brisbane on December 17 to get a test at Prince Charles Hospital after a friend notified her of the outbreak in Sydney.

The woman was considered to be infectious in Queensland for two days but is now self-isolating back on Sydney’s northern beaches after driving home following her test which came back positive on Thursday night.

Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said the woman had been an “excellent individual” who left the state straight after her test.

“She got a hire car and drove straight down to Sydney,” she said.

“She did stop along the way but again she managed her interactions.”

Dr Young said the woman “didn’t realise” she was a risk during her stay in Queensland and she was “confident” that Queensland Health would track down all potential contacts.

She is now asking anyone who was sitting near the woman on the Virgin flight to get tested immediately and quarantine for 14 days.

“Passengers on flight VA925 on 16 December seated in rows 7, 8, 9, 10 or 11 are required to get tested and quarantine for 14 days from Wednesday 16 December,” she said in a statement.

“If you were in one of those rows, you should be contacted directly by our contact tracers. Alternatively, these passengers can contact 13HEALTH.

“While the risk is low, I’m also asking all other passengers from flight VA925 on 16 December to remain vigilant and if you develop any symptoms to get tested.

“Similarly, any close contacts who dined at the Glen Hotel in Eight Mile Plains on 16 December will be contacted directly by our contact tracers.

“However, I am also asking anyone else who was at the Glen Hotel on 16 December after 11.30am to be vigilant and if you develop any symptoms to get tested immediately.”

The northern beaches has been declared a hotspot in Queensland and any resident who travels to the state from Saturday will need to quarantine for 14 days in a government hotel.

The Avalon cluster has grown to 28. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

NSW Health said in a statement on Friday woman’s case was one of two fresh diagnoses under “urgent investigation”.

NSW’s chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant told media in Sydney the woman attended Avalon RSL on December 11 and left the state not knowing about the virus outbreak that had flowed from the venue.

The number of cases linked to the RSL club and the Avalon Bowling Club now stands at 28, with 15 cases of community transmission recorded in the last 24 hours.

“That individual was identified through our contact tracing efforts in NSW and we contacted that individual and that individual had already departed and was in Queensland at the time,” Dr Chant said.

“We advised them to isolate and get a test. They then contacted the Queensland officials prior to the test result coming back and were advised about safe transport back to NSW so they drove their own car and made their way back here and during that journey, they received a positive test result.”

Originally published as Qld health issues alerts about multiple sites visited by infected woman from Sydney’s northern beaches cluster