Covid flight attendant’s border crossing, global superstar cans HOTA concert, no new exposure sites for coast
The flight attendant who entered the Gold Coast and tested positive to Covid’s highly infectious Delta variant picked up a man in Ballina who had travelled illegally from Sydney. THE LATEST >>>
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THE flight attendant who entered the Gold Coast and tested positive to Covid’s highly infectious Delta variant picked up a man in Ballina who had travelled illegally from Sydney.
The man, who was given an incorrect negative Covid result by a private NSW lab, had flown into Ballina where the flight attendant met him.
Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young on Sunday said she believed he was “the index case” for the Qantas flight crew member identified on July 25.
“We became aware of him because he was a close contact of the flight attendant,” she said.
“She picked up that passenger on Friday from Ballina airport and drove to Queensland.
“The first we knew he was a concern was late yesterday.
“It is clear now those two people have been out in Brisbane and the Gold Coast since the 14th of July.”
Dr Young said the flight attendant – a woman in her 30s from Banyo – was legally allowed to cross the border to Ballina at the time, but the man was not supposed to have left Sydney.
No new exposure sites for the Gold Coast were listed on Sunday, but the woman had visited Dreamworld and Koi bar-restaurant in Broadbeach.
Anyone who visited Koi from 1.50pm to 2.50pm on July 14 or the theme park from 10.30am to 2pm on July 16 must quarantine immediately, get tested and complete an online contact tracing form.
Contact tracing was under way on Sunday afternoon to determine if the Delta strain had spread.
But the man was the only case of community transmission recorded in the state on Sunday. In developments:
• Queensland had five new cases, all in hotel quarantine;
• NSW had 141 new Covid cases from 102,233 tests;
• Two more people died in NSW of Covid-19 complications, including a woman in her 30s who had no pre-existing medical conditions;
• Victoria recorded 11 new cases, with all in quarantine through the infectious period.
“I ask anyone in Brisbane or the Gold Coast, if you have any symptoms at all, it is critical you come forward because I’m not actually sure where those two individuals have been while they were in their infectious period,” Dr Young said.
Sydney-based Tones and I axed an outdoor gig at HOTA on Saturday due to the outbreak restrictions on travel for the lead singer and her crew.
“It’s with great frustration we have to cancel this show, due to another Covid outbreak restricting travel for Tones and her crew,” management said in a statement.
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MORE than 100 cars have been turned back from the Queensland border in the first 24 hours since the state shut its doors to NSW.
Police say they’ve turned back 107 cars of the 2408 intercepted at border crossings statewide.
A police spokesperson said: “Road delays have settled down and will continue to do as the community become more educated around the border passes.”
Current border checkpoints are:
*Griffith Street, Coolangatta
*Gold Coast Highway, Bilinga
*M1 Stewarts Road, Currumbin
* Nerang-Murwillumbah Road, Natural Bridge, however will be open to transit from 7am to 7pm.
The Ducat Street border checkpoint is expected to open in the next week.
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TONES and I has cancelled her outdoor event due to be held at HOTA on Saturday evening.
It comes as the city is on Covid alert, with authorities bracing for increased demand for testing after it was revealed an infected flight attendant visited Dreamworld and a restaurant in the city last week.
Management for Tones and I have cancelled the outdoor show due the Covid outbreak restricting travel for the lead singer and her crew.
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They said ticket buyers would receive a refund and their Box Office Team would be in touch, however, refunds could take up to 20 days.
“It’s with great frustration we have to cancel this show, due to another Covid outbreak restricting travel for Tones and her crew,” management said.
“The majority of Tones’ crew including the choir are Sydney based in a red zone and stuck with no ability to travel.
“We’ve exhausted all angles to keep the show going ahead to no avail. It’s completely out of our hands and we’re all gutted.
“You can get a full refund from your place of purchase and we will honour the tee shirt and digital download for customers who selected that.
“Sincerely hope we can organise more shows for you this year, until then, stay safe and look out for each other.”
The three hour show was due to kick off at HOTA from 6.30pm on Saturday.
Queensland recorded no new local cases overnight.
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THE Gold Coast is on Covid alert, with authorities bracing for increased demand for testing after it was revealed an infected flight attendant visited Dreamworld and a restaurant in the city last week.
Health authorities are scrambling to trace the movements of a QantasLink flight crew member who was “possibly infectious” on six flights across the state.
The attendant worked on multiple flights between Brisbane, Longreach, Gladstone and Hervey Bay on July 11-12.
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Koi, in the heart of the Broadbeach dining precinct, has been listed by contact tracers as a high-risk “close contact” exposure site, with anyone who visited between 1.50pm and 2.50pm on Wednesday, July 14 to immediately quarantine.
Queensland Health has urged anyone who visited Koi at that time to immediately travel by private transport directly to your home or accommodation and quarantine; get tested at your earliest opportunity; complete the online contact tracing form on the Queensland Health website or phone 134 Covid (134 268).
Anyone who was there at that time should continue to quarantine even after receiving a negative result. After you complete the contact tracing form you will be contacted by Queensland Health.
A spokesman at Koi said the restaurant remained open, was following all Queensland Health directives and that contact tracing was under way.
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Dreamworld said Queensland Health had informed them that an individual who visited the park between 10.30am and 2pm last Friday, July 16, had since tested positive to the virus.
Dreamworld was listed as a low-risk exposure site on Friday on.
“Dreamworld’s number one priority is the health and safety of guests and team members, and the park operates under a Queensland Health approved Covid Safe Plan,” the theme park said in a statement to notify its guests.
“Dreamworld team members who came into direct contact with the positive guest are being identified, asked to isolate immediately and to present a negative test result before returning to work.”
Anyone who visited Dreamworld on Friday July 16 between 10.30am and 2pm should get tested, but you do not need to isolate unless you have symptoms.
If you are experiencing symptoms, quarantine at home until you receive a negative result and continue to monitor for symptoms, if you become symptomatic get tested and
isolate until you receive a negative result.
Dreamworld planned to email guests who attended on the day, which was likely to be relatively quiet, given it was a weekday outside of school holidays.
Staff who had contact with the woman will be tested and remain at home until they receive negative tests.
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