Gold Coast Covid case attended Southport Surf Club event

Another case of Covid-19 has been detected on the Gold Coast, with a participant in a surf club’s Bronze Medallion course testing positive.

FIFTY-TWO people have been forced into home quarantine after a child attending a bronze medallion course at one of the Gold Coast’s ­biggest surf clubs tested positive for Covid.

The 14-year-old girl received the positive result on Wednesday, forcing the course at the Southport Surf Life Saving Club to be cancelled and Nipper facilities to be deep-cleaned.

It is understood a family member of the child had ­previously tested positive. The girl was one of six new cases of Covid recorded in Queensland on Thursday.

A cleaner at Southport SLSC on Thursday. Picture Glenn Hampson

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A Surf Life Saving Queensland statement confirmed 52 people who attended the course had been forced into home quarantine. Most were aged 13 and over.

Surf Life Saving Queensland Gold Coast co-ordinator Nathan Fife said: “The club was on to it very quickly and did everything right.”

Mr Fife said the surf club had been deep-cleaned, but the popular licensed supporters club at Main Beach was not affected.

Mr Fife said the surf club was scrambling to make up patrol numbers for the long weekend.

“Fifty-two members is a lot and we’re doing everything we can to help them make sure they can fill the patrols.”

Covid deep cleaning at the Southport SLSC. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

Covid deep cleaning at the Southport SLSC. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

A Gold Coast Health spokesperson told the Bulletin Southport SLSC had not been listed on Queensland Health’s exposure sites list because the Public Health Unit identified all close contacts at the part of the venue visited by the case.

The spokesperson added that the infected person did not go inside the main pavilion building at the surf club.

Vans outside Southport Surf Lifesaving Club on Thursday. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

Health authorities Thursday morning warned the next 24 hours were “critical” in relation to whether the city would be put into lockdown.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she would analyse testing rates, vaccinations and whether the virus was “seeding” into the community.

She said residents needed to get tested, get vaccinated, wear masks and check in wherever they go.

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