‘Absolutely furious’: Where infected, unvaccinated hospital worker travelled over 10 days

The brother of a Prince Charles Hospital worker who triggered a three-day Covid-19 lockdown affecting about 4 million Queenslanders has also tested positive to the virus.

The brother of a Prince Charles Hospital worker who triggered a three-day Covid-19 lockdown affecting about 4 million Queenslanders has also tested positive to the virus.

St Patrick’s College at Shorncliffe has written to parents advising them of the positive test, saying the student is “in good spirits, though unwell and is being isolated in hospital”.

“Please keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers over the next two weeks,” college principal Chris Mayes said.

The boy’s unvaccinated sister has the highly infectious Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

Another family member and a close friend of the woman have also fallen ill.

SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS OF ALL THE LOCATIONS SHE VISITED

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the woman had worked as a receptionist in a section of the Prince Charles Hospital that had been “put aside only for Covid patients”.

But she worked outside the ward where Covid-19 patients are cared for.

The 19-year-old, from Sandgate, travelled to Townsville and Magnetic Island from Brisbane, spending a total of 10 days in the community while infectious.

Even before the details of the strain of virus were known, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she was ‘absolutely furious’ as she slammed a botched vaccination rollout after the unvaccinated hospital worker contracted Covid-19 and spent 10 days while infectious in the community.

Ms Palaszczuk said she was “absolutely furious” the worker had not been vaccinated - against the directive for hospital staff to be protected from Covid-19.

Ms Palaszczuk promised a ‘full investigation’ into what happened but believed the directive specifically stated everyone working within the Covid ward must be vaccinated whereas the woman worked just outside it.

“This virus is contagious. It is hard to contain it in hotels and it is hard to contain it in hospitals,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“We need to make sure that we are getting our population vaccinated right across the state.”

The woman’s Covid-positive brother was not at St Patrick’s during his “probable transmission period” but he was part of a “tennis co-curricular program” on Monday.

“Any students or staff who are deemed to be close contacts will be contacted by Queensland Health with advice to what they will need to do,” Mr Mayes said.

Dr Young said the area where the woman worked was “quite separate to the rest of the Prince Charles Hospital”.

“The rest of the hospital shouldn’t be at risk,” she said.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announces the lockdown. Picture: John Gass

The woman is believed to have been infectious since June 19. She developed symptoms two days later but still went to work at The Prince Charles Hospital on June 22 and 23.

She flew to Townsville on June 24 and then travelled to Magnetic Island before returning to Townsville and then flying back to Brisbane on Sunday.

Acting on Dr Young’s advice, Ms Palaszczuk has locked down large sections of the state for three days from 6pm tonight to 6pm Friday including Southeast Queensland, Townsville City, Magnetic Island and Palm Island.

“We need to go hard, we need to go fast,” she said. “The risk is real and we need to act quickly.

“I know we’re in the middle of school holidays and I know people have made plans but we’ve just got to do this.

“There’ll be a lockdown for three days. I don’t want it to be 30 days. We just have to do this.”

The woman’s case was the final straw that has prompted Ms Palaszczuk to plunge southeast Queensland, Townsville, Palm Island and Magnetic Island into a three-day lockdown starting from 6pm Tuesday.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young detailed where the woman had visited:

- Sunday June 20 - 11.20am-12pm - Sandgate Woolworths

- Sunday June 20 - 3.10pm-4pm - The Bay Health Club, Sandgate

- Tuesday and Wednesday June 22 and 23 - worked at Prince Charles Hospital

- Thursday June 24 - 10.10am - Flew on VA369 from Brisbane to Townsville from Brisbane Airport

- Thursday June 24 - 12.20pm to 1.20pm - Arrived at Townsville Airport and dined at Brewery Cafe, Coral Sea Drive, Garbutt

- Thursday June 24 to Sunday June 27 - Holidayed at Magnetic Island

- Thursday June 24 - 6.15pm to 6.30pm - Marlin Bar, Horseshoe Bay

- Thursday June 24 - 6.30pm to 8.30pm - Barefoot art food and wine, Horseshoe Bay

- Friday June 25 - 10.30am to 3pm - Arthur Bay beach

- Friday June 25 - 11am to 11.15am - Front Reception, coffee shop Peppers Resort, Nelly Bay

- Friday June 25 - 3pm to 3.15pm - Magnetic Island IGA

- Friday June 25 - 5.30pm to 6.30pm - Main St, Horseshoe Bay

- Friday June 25 - 6.30pm to 8.30pm - Thai Again restaurant, Nelly Bay

- Saturday June 25 - 10.30am to 2.45pm - Florence Bay beach

- Saturday June 25 - 2.45pm to 3pm - Radical Bay beach

- Saturday June 25 - 3pm to 3.15pm - Magnetic Island IGA

- Sunday June 27 - 9.50am to 9.55am - Coffee Cart, Barge Ferry, Nelly Bay

- Sunday June 27 - late morning - Townsville Markets

- Sunday June 27 - 1.18pm to 2.55pm - Flew from Townsville to Brisbane on VA374

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said her infection posed a significant risk. Picture: John Gass

Dr Young on Tuesday morning said her time in the community posed a ‘significant risk’ although she did not know at the time if the woman had the highly-contagious Delta strain.

Information on genomic sequencing since confirmed she has the Delta strain that has caused havoc in Sydney.

She urged every single person on Magnetic Island - about 2000 people - to urgently get tested regardless if they have symptoms.

A fever clinic has been set up on the island along with various locations around the state.

All the latest on Queensland’s lockdown HERE

Originally published as ‘Absolutely furious’: Where infected, unvaccinated hospital worker travelled over 10 days