Queensland announces no new local cases on Wednesday after teen tests positive
Authorities have revealed new details about the Gold Coast’s latest two Covid-19 cases, a teenager and a rideshare driver – both with cross border links.
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QUEENSLAND’S chief health officer Dr Jeanette Young has played down fears of a Covid-19 cluster on the Gold Coast as the state recorded no new cases.
The announcement follows a 17-year-old testing positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday after presenting to a city hospital, suffering from a headache.
The teen is believed to have caught the virus after a Tweed resident came to visit him on the Coast.
“He had a family member visit from northern New South Wales, from Tweed, and stay with them for three days last week, the 18th, 19th and 20th of October,” Dr Young said.
“And that person when they went back to NSW, they tested positive.
“The 17-year-old has clearly got it from that person.
“That person who visited from NSW didn’t go out and about in the community, other than to catch the 700 bus on a couple of days, on October 19 and 20.”
Dr Young did not express any concerns about a Coast Covid-19 cluster.
“I don’t know if there’s a cluster there,” she said.
“I’m – from a public health point of view – not concerned.
“I feel fairly comfortable … we should be okay going forward.”
“That person stayed there (on the Coast) over a week ago and we’ve had a lot of testing done in the Gold Coast since then, and we haven’t picked up any cases, and they didn’t leave the residence, except to return back across the border a couple of times.”
There was no indication from Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski the teen breached the Queensland-NSW border restrictions.
He only said: “At the moment our role is assisting Queensland Police with contact tracing.”
“Our role there is making sure that everyone … who’s been in contact with that person is identified.”
“My understanding is that person is safe where they are and has been cooperative,” he said.
Dr Young was also asked about the teen’s border movements, but only spoke of the reasons border zone residents could cross the blockade.
“Essential workers can travel from the border zone into Queensland. The definition of that is anyone who can’t work from home,” she said.
“Kids can come to go to school, people can come to access healthcare, to access a vaccination and of course to do essential shopping that they’re not able to reasonably do locally in their own community.”
During Wednesday’s Covid-19 update, Health Minister Yvette D’Ath announced zero new locally acquired coronavirus cases and one new overseas case detected in hotel quarantine.
Mr Gollschewski also spoke about the investigation into whether infectious Coast rideshare driver Duran Raman, 36, breached the border blockade.
Mr Raman has been ill with the virus in Gold Coast University Hospital.
“Our investigations at a point now where we need to interview him,” Mr Gollschewski said.
“We’re waiting on a health clearance so we’re able to do that.”
Dr Young advised lockdowns in Queensland, particularly in the southeast, would be less likely going forward.
“A lockdown in Queensland is becoming less and less likely every day,” she said.
Ms D’Ath said Queensland had reached a first dose vaccination rate of 75.68 per cent and a full rate of 61.22 per cent.
Coast bus route listed as new exposure site
October 26: Queensland Health has listed one of the main bus routes on the Coast as an exposure site after an unvaccinated teen tested positive to Covid-19.
October 19: Bus route 700, Miami to QLD/NSW border (Coolangatta) from 8am to 8:30pm
October 19: Bus route 700, QLD/NSW Border (Coolangatta) to Miami from 12:30pm to 2pm
October 20: Bus route 700, QLD/NSW Border (Coolangatta) to Miami from 12:30pm to 2pm
âš Public Health Alert âš
— Queensland Health (@qldhealthnews) October 26, 2021
Queensland Health is issuing new contact tracing locations for:
📠Coolangatta
📠Miami
Full details can be found at: https://t.co/rujm8F3qL4pic.twitter.com/ZFKwJ52prc
The 17-year-old boy is one of two new locally acquired coronavirus cases, according to Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who revealed the new cases in parliament on Tuesday morning.
She said the boy is a close contact of someone who travelled to New South Wales.
A woman in her 30s from Melbourne has tested positive, but she has been in home quarantine and is not believed to be a risk to the community.
Ms Palaszczuk said a third case not listed in the Queensland statistics is a truck driver from Gympie who visited Bundaberg and later tested positive in NSW.
Ms Palaszczuk also warned a single case of the virus could spark a “massive outbreak”.
She said due to the time frame between vaccine doses “Queenslanders have just five days to get vaccinated” before the state reopens.
“Our only protection is to get vaccinated,” she said.
“When the NSW outbreak started only four per cent of its population was vaccinated.
“Queensland has the opportunity to get a head start, to get ahead of the virus and get vaccinated before the outbreak arrives.”
Just 59 per cent of Coast residents were fully vaccinated as of Sunday, while 74.5 per cent had received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, like Pfizer or AstraZeneca.
Queensland’s vaccine uptake remains one of the slowest when compared to other Australian states or territories.
Only 60.7 per cent of eligible residents have been fully vaccinated, while 75.22 per cent have received at least one dose.
The latest Coast case comes after Broadbeach man Duran Raman, 36, tested positive last week after spending time in the community.
He visited Melbourne on October 10 before returning to the Coast, according to Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young.
Tuesday 26 October – coronavirus cases in Queensland:
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) October 25, 2021
2 new locally acquired cases, detected in Queensland overnight.#covid19pic.twitter.com/1dzBGz94eq
Mr Raman had not used the Check in Qld app since mid-September and Queensland Police have been investigating whether he unlawfully crossed border.
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