Four new cases in Queensland, none detected in Gold Coast, Premier warns of mystery cluster
Queensland has recorded four new coronavirus cases, as the Premier warns of the Gold Coast’s mystery cluster and its potential to get out of control.
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Queensland has recorded four new coronavirus cases, but none on the Gold Coast.
Two cases were locally acquired and detected in home quarantine in Goondiwindi and two new overseas cases were detected in hotel quarantine.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk hinted at restrictions for the Gold Coast yesterday after the two mystery cases were recorded.
“The good news is we don’t have any new cases on the Gold Coast,” she said today.
“The two casses we have on the Gold Coast they are clustering together we do need to find out that link and make sure epeople are getting tested and vaccinated.
“If you live on the Gold Coast I need to make it very clear we need to make sure we don’t have any community transmission.”
Ms Palaszczuk urged anyone who is asked to home quarantine to do so.
Acting CHO Dr Peter Aitken said the two cases on the Gold Coast had the same genome, but health authorities are no closer to finding the source of the cases.
“That’s really important, we know we’ve got two cases on the Gold Coast and we’re still unsure how they were acquired,” he said.
“We also know their genomics are identical.”
He added health authorities on the Gold Coast were “rapidly” tracing the pair’s movements to determine where they had contracted the virus.
All family members have so far tested negative.
“We are worried because Schoolies is coming up, really this is up to the Gold Coast community,” he said.
“If we can see no more cases throughout the next few days that puts us in an excellent position.
“We’ll just take it one day at a time at the moment until we understand more about these two cases and what that means for the Gold Coast community.”
More to come …
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11: Two new Covid-19 cases have been detected in Queensland, including another mystery case on the Gold Coast.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the cases this morning and hinted at restrictions if more mystery cases surface.
“The first (case) is a man in his 50s and he lives at Carrara on the Gold Coast. He is an Uber driver and he is fully vaccinated, that is the good news,” she said.
“If we see more unlinked community transmission on the Gold Coast in the next 24 –
48 hours, we may have to put in place some further restrictions.
“Therefore, people should consider on public transport on the Gold Coast, they should consider about wearing a mask and also if they are in crowded situations.
“We want to protect people on the Gold Coast but we also now have two unlinked cases on the Gold Coast. So please, the Gold Coast is not at the 80 per cent yet, you are doing a great job but we just don’t know where these cases have come from.
“The person has been taken to the Gold Coast University Hospital and contact tracing is under way.
“The second case, we are not as concerned about. It is a young woman in her teens from Beaudesert.”
A third case was overseas acquired in hotel quarantine.
Queensland has reached its 80 per cent single dose vaccinated mask free requirement, and masks won’t be reintroduced, but are encouraged in crowded areas.
Vaccinated rates would be heavily monitored on the Gold Coast and the Premier urged residents to check-in when using Ubers and eating out at restaurants.
She said 50 schools across Queensland would be offering the vaccine this weekend, with a Super Schools Blitz planned for the weekend of November 20-21.
Acting chief health officer Dr Peter Aitken said he was “concerned” about the mystery cases on the Gold Coast and authorities were watching “very closely”.
He urged residents to get tested to ensure any outbreaks could be managed quickly and so to avoid the potential of mandatory mask wearing and restrictions placed back on the Coast.
Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said the state was expected to reach 70 per cent double dose next week.
He said that everyone across the border waiting to enter Queensland, some 14,000 people, would be advised on the process with “no hierarchy” in place.
They would be advised within the next few days of the home quarantine system if they were eligible.
Mr Gollschewski said the ADF would be removed from the state’s borders on November 15 but warned residents they would not see many changes at road borders at 70 per cent fully vaccinated.
It’s not until the state gets to 80 per cent double dosed that the “posture” of the border will change
However, he also warned those who “blatantly disregards” the chief health officer’s orders that they should expect police to take action.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10: Three new cases of Covid-19 were detected overnight in Queensland.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the Gold Coast, a 32-year-old man from Pacific Pines, who was in the community infectious for up to six days.
GOLD COAST EXPOSURE SITES:
Sunday 7 November
Robina Town Centre
9.20am to 11am
JB HI-FI – Bundall
10.55am to 11.30am
Casual Contact
Monday, November 8
Coomera City Centre Chempro
Shop T13, Building D, Coomera City Centre, Corner Old Coach Rd and Commercial St
Upper Coomera
10.45am – 11.10am
Casual contact
Coles City Centre, West Retail Precinct
1 City Centre Drive
Upper Coomera
10.55am – 11.15am
Casual contact
Earle Plaza – Nerang
2.15pm to 2.30pm
“We’re going to see more and more cases as our borders open,” she said.
“The first case we detected is on the Gold Coast, the person lives at Pacific Pines … they were potentially infectious in the community for up to six days.
“You need to go and get tested. You also need to go and get your vaccine. If you have been thinking about it and wondering whether or not you should, today is a good day to go and get your vaccination.
“The good news is they have had one dose of the vaccine.
“We do not at this stage where the case on the Gold Coast came from.
“We need to make sure there are no other cases on the Gold Coast so now I’m saying to Gold Coast residents and families – if you are not vaccinated, go and get vaccinated.
“If you want to enjoy your Christmas holidays and if you want to go to the theatre, you want to go to sporting events, you want to go to a pub or a cafe or have a beer with your mate down at the local pub, I’m asking you to go and get vaccinated.
It is understood the case was acquired in the community and is not related to any recent clusters.
Deputy chief health officer Dr Lynne McKinlay said: “The gentleman at the Gold Coast is in hospital now, he is a 32-year-old man.
“The contact tracers are working very hard to identify any close contacts.
“What we know so far is family members, one of them a healthcare worker, have tested negative.”
Dr McKinlay pleaded with Queenslanders to “please, please get vaccinated”, after the spate of deaths during New South Wale’s reopening.
“The data coming out of New South Wales, they did a big study of their recent outbreak there and they showed that if you are unvaccinated you are 16 times more likely to get really sick and go to an intensive care unit or to die,” she said.
The second case was a First Nations person in Warwick, and a third was in hotel quarantine from Melbourne.
This comes as Ms Palaczszuk announced yesterday Queensland will return to normal from December 17, with no capacity limits or restrictions for vaccinated people.
Those who are unvaccinated will be locked out of pubs, clubs, cafes and public spaces.
The decision may be reviewed when the state hits 90 per cent fully vaccinated.
Queensland, as of November 9, is 79.8 per cent single dose vaccinated, and 67.8 per cent double dose vaccinated.
Mask mandates are expected to be wound back today, after the state hits 80 per cent single dose vaccinated.
BREAKING: Fully vaccinated Queenslanders will be rewarded to keep our freedoms from 17 December or when we reach the 80% double dosed milestone. #covid19pic.twitter.com/WICAlLvxl0
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) November 9, 2021
Only people who are fully vaccinated in Queensland will be allowed in:
* Hospitality venues including pubs, clubs, hotels, bars, restaurants and cafes.
* Queensland government stadiums.
* Entertainment venues including live music and karaoke bars.
* Indoor and outdoor music festivals.
* Government-owned galleries, museums and libraries.
* Aged care, hospitals, prisons and disability services except in end of life, childbirth or emergencies.
For the unvaccinated:
* Vulnerable settings such as aged care, hospitals, prisons and disability services must not allow unvaccinated visitors. Unvaccinated visitors can visit for the purposes of end of life, childbirth or an emergency situation.
* Hospitality venues and indoor entertainment venues: Only vaccinated staff and patrons are permitted to enter. In circumstances where there is private hire with unvaccinated individuals density limits apply.
* Outdoor entertainment activities: Only vaccinated staff and patrons permitted to enter.
* Festivals; music, arts, folk etc: Only vaccinated staff and patrons permitted to enter including performers, crew, catering and food trucks.
* Weddings: Unvaccinated people can attend, but only if there is a maximum of 20 people in attendance.
* Other settings; essential retail, other eretail, public transport etc: Covid-19 density restrictions may still apply.
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