COVID-19 Pimpama: coronavirus cases prompt serious warning from health experts
Gold Coasters are being advised by health experts to stay home unless really necessary after two COVID-19 cases were reported in the city overnight.
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GOLD Coasters are being advised by health experts to stay home unless really necessary and to avoid sports games or carnivals this weekend if they aren’t feeling 100 per cent.
The warning comes as two new cases of COVID were confirmed in Pimpama overnight and contact tracers work to identify all the places the infected people have visited during the past 14 days.
Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said the two people were tested positive had “very mild” symptoms of coronavirus.
Dr Sonu Haikerwal, of the Upper Coomera Respiratory Clinic said this week she had tested people who had been in close contact with positive cases, so “anxiety in the community was growing”.
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“My advice really is to lay low and stay at home. If you don’t need to go out don’t but if you do it’s vital to ensure you’re practising good hand hygiene, social distancing and avoiding big crowds,” she said.
Gold Coast Primary Health Network chairman Roger Halliwell said with gathering limited to 10 people coming in affect from Saturday, it was also vital people who aren’t feeling well “don’t soldier on”.
“If you’re not 100 per cent and have a sore throat then you simple must stay away from public places, even outdoor sporting activities,” he said.
“Maybe in the past people have played netball or watched with a cold but please this is not the year to do this.
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“At this time it’s absolutely essential, and really it’s the same old story, practice good hand hygiene and social distancing, if you’re not well stay home and get a COVID test.”
Dr Halliwell said now was the time for Gold Coasters to consider firing up the COVID-safe app so authorities had another way to track people who had been in contact with a COVID-infected person.
“Contact tracers are currently tracking down exactly where these people have visited and it may take some time to get an exhaustive list.”
Dr Andrew Weissenberger from the Hope Island respiratory clinic said it was crucial that anyone with symptoms got tested and stayed at home.
“Our messaging remains the same but it’s now even more crucial that Gold Coasters get tested if they have symptoms and stay home if they’re unwell.
EARLIER:
HEALTH authorities are calling for extra viligance across the Gold Coast after two new cases of COVID were confirmed in Pimpama overnight.
Gold Coast Primary Health Network chairman Roger Halliwell said contact tracing had started, with some 260 members of the public health unit working hard to pinpoint the exact locations where the two cases had visited during the past two weeks.
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Once known, Gold Coasters who had come in contact with these people would be notified by Queensland Health directly and be given a COVID test and told to stay at home and self isolate. This may take a few days.
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“Right now we’ve got to be extra vigilant in regards to if you have symptoms then get a COVID test and then stay home,” he said.
“The last thing we want is community transmission so we’re advising people to stay home and get tested if you’re not well.
“Be alert but not alarmed and do not avoid a test, it’s pretty straight forward and nothing to be fearful of.
“We want to keep a lid on this so we don’t end up in the situation that Victoria is in, that would be a terrible outcome.”
Originally published as COVID-19 Pimpama: coronavirus cases prompt serious warning from health experts