Queensland records zero new locally acquired Covid-19 cases, new exposure sites in Tweed Heads as lockdown avoided

A lockdown across the south east seems less likely after Queensland recorded zero new local cases – but Gold Coasters are being warned to be vigilant and get vaccinated. DETAILS >>>

ZERO new cases of community transmission have been recorded in Queensland overnight, but health authorities warn residents must be vigilant because the virus will “hunt down” the unvaccinated.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young held their daily conference at Seventeen Mile Rocks ahead of the historic NRL Grand Final at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane tonight.

The event is going ahead after a week of uncertainty caused by a number of Covid clusters.

“The fact we don’t have any seeding or community cases is why we can continue to enjoy our lifestyle,” said the Premier.

There have been 18,427 Covid tests carried out in the past 24 hours, with Queenslanders thanked for answering the call.

Queensland Health vaccinated 19,256 people in the past 24 hours, with 66.96 per cent of the state having at least one dose and 47.98 per cent fully vaccinated.

WHERE TO GET A COVID TEST OR VACCINE ON THE GOLD COAST

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk speaks during a press conference. Photo by Dan Peled/Getty Images.

The Premier urged everyone to get vaccinated, encouraging those on holiday to make getting the jab a “family outing” because “we’re not out of the woods yet”.

“We’ve said very clearly that if there’s any community spread, we’ll look at those cases but that could happen. The key is to go get vaccinated.

“What we know about this virus is that it will hunt down those that are now vaccinated.”

Dr Young said she was “confident we don’t have community seeding” which was why the south east remained out of lockdown.

She added one of the reasons the state was able to contain more than 50 incursions of the virus in the past few months was the ability to identify the first case in each outbreak.

Dr Young thanked everyone for coming out and getting tested, attributing the state’s success in keeping the Delta strain at bay to “the work of Queenslanders”.

“You clearly know how to respond in a pandemic and you’re keeping yourselves, your family and your community safe,” she said.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young. Photo by Dan Peled/Getty Images.

Ms Palaszczuk reminded those going to the NRL final that masks must be worn at all times unless eating or drinking.

When asked whether Queensland hospitals were ready to cope with increased demand once borders opened she said: “I don’t think any hospital in the country would say they’re ready”.

“The whole nation is working on this and further works needs to be done.”

But Dr Young said that the hospital system was ready but it would have a lot of requirements on it and this wasn’t just related to the number of beds that were needed.

“It’s the staff,” she said.

The Premier said the opening of borders to allow international students to return next would also help by adding medical staff to rural and regional areas.

Meanwhile, New South Wales recorded 667 new locally-acquired cases on Sunday including six in northern NSW and three of those in Tweed Heads. Ten deaths were also recorded, with the Health Minster confirming there had been no new deaths of people aged under 50.

They are all household contacts of known cases. Sewerage testing had also detected traces of the virus in Kingscliff, Tweeds Heads and Banora Point.

The state is likely to reach 70 per cent doubled dose target by the middle of this week.

NSW Health listed new exposures sites in Tweed Heads and northern NSW, including Pottsville Chiropractic on September 28, Woolworths Supermarkets in Tweed Heads on September 25 and Aldi in Tweed Heads South on Saturday 25.

Sites at Cabarita Beach include Tweed Valley Meats on September 27, Woolworths Cabarita on September 27 and 28 and Cabarita Beach Kebabs on September 28. To find out the exposure times, visit the NSW Health website.

In Victoria, 1220 cases were recorded three people have died. There were 71,275 tests conducted and 36,248 vaccines administered.

Six new local cases in Qld as Gold Coast restrictions tighten

Sept 30 –

By Luke Mortimer

TOUGHER Covid-19 restrictions will be enforced on the Gold Coast after Queensland recorded six new locally acquired cases – but the city has dodged a snap lockdown for now.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said four of the six new local cases were linked to the aviation worker who tested positive earlier this week, including one new Townsville case.

MORE NEWS: MAYOR TOM TATE BLASTS EXPOSURE SITE DELAY

Authorities have urged Gold Coast residents with any Covid-19 symptoms to get tested immediately. Picture: David Clark

She said at a press conference on Thursday that Stage 2 restrictions would be reintroduced in parts of the southeast from 4pm, including the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Logan and Moreton Bay.

Stricter measures will affect home visits, venue capacity limits, weddings, funerals and more.

Crowd capacity numbers for the rugby Test matches at Metricon Stadium in Carrara and NRL grand final at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane will be slashed by a quarter.

Ms Palaszczuk urged Queenslanders to wear face masks when required, to get vaccinated, to check-in when out and about and to get tested if they noticed even the mildest symptoms.

It was feared parts of southeast Queensland would be plunged into a snap lockdown, but that did not occur ahead of the big sporting fixtures at Brisbane and the Coast.

Meanwhile, Victoria announced a massive 1438 coronavirus cases and five deaths and NSW recorded 941 cases and six deaths on Thursday.

On Wednesday, it was revealed a Biggera Waters man aged in his 50s and a Gaven man had both tested positive.

Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young was questioned on Thursday by a reporter about the amount of time it took for Queensland Health to provide a list of Coast exposure sites.

Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Dr Young had detailed suburbs of concern across the city at the government’s daily press conference, but it took hours for more information to be published online.

The chief health officer was unapologetic and said anyone in the named suburbs should have come forward for testing if they had even mild symptoms anyway.

Exposure sites have been listed across the Coast and authorities have also been working to halt the spread of the virus in inner city Brisbane.

A truckie failed to check in at eateries and hotels in Brisbane for more than a week, while a Brisbane woman tested positive to the coronavirus late on Wednesday night after visiting the northern New South Wales hot spot of Kyogle.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dan Peled

Dr Young stopped short of enacting a lockdown on Wednesday, but warned an increased number of cases, particularly unlinked, could be the trigger.

Many in the community quipped the lockdown was only avoided due to the upcoming rugby league and rugby union match-ups.

Late on Wednesday night, it emerged eight Argentinian players and staff had put Saturday’s rugby union test against Australia into doubt after they were locked out of Queensland after a day trip to Byron Bay.

Originally published as Queensland records zero new locally acquired Covid-19 cases, new exposure sites in Tweed Heads as lockdown avoided