New coronavirus case found on the Gold Coast

A Gold Coaster has contracted the city’s first new case of the coronavirus in over a week. Health officials are working to track the unknown source.

A GOLD COASTER has been diagnosed with the potentially deadly coronavirus – the first new case for the city in over a week.

The case, announced this morning by health officials, was one of five new cases found in the state overnight, three of which were contracted interstate.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the source of the Gold Coast case was still unknown.

“We are still working through where the individual contracted the infection,” Dr Young said.

The Brisbane case was a household contact of a known case.

“It is important to recognise that we are still getting the occasional case, and if we don’t manage that and we have more people out and about it could be a risk.

“That is why it is so important that people wherever possible maintain that 1.5 metre distance.”

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Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, said while some restrictions were being reviewed, the end to border closures and social distancing were unlikely to happen in the short term.

“Social distancing will be here for quite a long time until we have a vaccine,” the Premier said.

“We review the border restrictions at the end for the month, I can’t see that happening any time soon.”

Instead the Premier spoke about the work being done with tourism and cafe operators on ‘road map to recovery’.

Nine are in hospital – four in intensive care, one ventilated.

“This week I will be starting a lot of conversations with the heads of cafe and restaurant associations. I will also be speaking with tourism operators as well to put in place our road map to recovery.

“It is really important that once we have settled a road map for schools, we can focus our plans for Queensland’s economic recovery including jobs.

“Of course great news today, in terms of the $1 billion Varsity Lakes to Tugun expansion of the motorway. Some concrete barriers will be going up, that is hundreds of jobs for the Gold Coast.”

As of today 193 cases of coronavirus have been found on the Gold Coast, 10 individuals are still considered infectious.