Covid-19 Gold Coast: Qld records 16 new cluster cases in ‘biggest outbreak’ since early 2020
Queensland has recorded 16 new locally acquired Covid-19 cases linked to the worrying southeast Delta cluster, which continues to expand. DETAILS >>>
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QUEENSLAND has recorded 16 new locally acquired Covid-19 cases linked to the worrying southeast Delta cluster, which continues to expand.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles revealed on Wednesday morning the state had recorded 19 new cases in total and the Indooroopilly Delta cluster outbreak had reached 63 cases.
He said it was the “biggest outbreak” since the first coronavirus wave in Queensland early last year.
The new local cases include four cases linked to Ironside State School, including one teacher, two cases linked to Indooroopilly State High School, one case linked to Brisbane Boys Grammar and nine cases involving close contacts or family members of cases previously identified as part of the cluster.
“That brings this outbreak to 63 genomically linked cases, meaning that in less than a week this has become our biggest outbreak since the first wave last year,” Mr Miles said.
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Mr Miles said one more local case linked to a Cairns reef pilot was “under investigation” and not linked to the southeast outbreak.
He said two more cases had been recorded in hotel quarantine.
In total, there has been 1859 Covid-19 cases in Queensland – including 100 cases now active. Mr Miles said Queenslanders have “smashed” testing records and 51,479 people were tested in the last 24 hours, compared to the previous high of 35,357.
“Let’s keep it up Queensland. Let’s keep that testing rate high,” he said.
“That’s one of the things that will allow us to get out of lockdown as quickly as possible.
“We’ve had at least 5844 people subject to home quarantine directions, 9598 people in total in quarantine and we expect those numbers are actually higher.”
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath warned Queenslanders must stay at home and obey lockdown rules if the state was to avoid having the eight-day lockdown extended again.
“The next five days, it’s up to you whether we extend this lockdown, whether we spread the virus to the community – that is up to each and every one of us,” she said.
Ms D’Ath also urged the community to continue to get vaccinated, even during lockdown.
Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said new exposure sites would be listed on the Queensland Health website.
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She urged southeast Queenslanders “to just check every single day” for more sites to pop up.
Dr Young said there was “no unlinked cases” as part of Wednesday’s case numbers and she was “getting more confident we don’t have other chains of transmission out there that we don’t know about”.
She said the testing numbers were “an absolutely brilliant result” and she thanked Queenslanders who endured long queues.
“But it is so important that you do that, because we still don’t have the link between that initial family of five and those two very initial cases from June 29 that came from overseas, other than the whole genome sequence” she said.
“So we still need to keep up that testing. Any symptoms at all, please immediately come forward and get tested. That is absolutely critical.”
Qld records 16 new cases in Delta cluster, Coast surgeries suspended
August 3: Queensland has recorded 16 new locally acquired Delta strain Covid-19 cases as the Gold Coast’s eight-day lockdown continues and Gold Coast Health temporarily suspends all category 3 non-urgent elective surgeries.
All but six of the new cases are linked directly to various schools in the southeast, not located on the Coast, according to Deputy Premier Steven Miles.
One of the cases is linked to Indooroopilly State School, four to Brisbane Grammar, three to Ironside State School and two to Brisbane Girls Grammar.
Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young confirmed about 400 Queensland Health staff had been impacted by the Indooroopilly cluster and were in home quarantine and this would have an impact of scheduled surgeries.
Gold Coast Health confirmed a “small number” of it staff had been affected by the home quarantine orders associated with the cluster.
Category 3 non-urgent elective surgeries are also being suspended across the Gold Coast, with this decision to be reviewed on Monday, August 9. On Tuesday five non-urgent category 3 elective surgeries were cancelled.
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WHERE TO GET A Covid TEST ON THE GOLD COAST
Meanwhile, all other Gold Coast Health services are operating as usual, with the exception of school-based oral health vans and school-based health nurses. These staff are performing their jobs via community health centres.
Also suspended from August 3-6 is all newborn drop-in clinics across the Gold Coast. Visitor restrictions are also back in place at hospitals.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said nine “young” students were included in the new cases.
Mr Miles said the six more cases were household and family contacts, and one neighbour.
It comes after Queensland Health named the popular Kua Thai Isan Traditional Thai Restaurant in Southport on the Coast as a new exposure site on Tuesday morning.
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It brings the number of cases linked to the Indooroopilly cluster to 47 and a total of 1840 cases have been recorded since the pandemic began last year.
Mr Miles said 34,718 tests had been undertaken in the last 24 hours, just short of Dr Young’s target of 40,000 or more.
He urged all affected government areas to obey strict lockdown rules.
Almost 8000 Queensland residents have been in quarantine, he said.
Anyone in home quarantine who needs help should ring the hotline on 1800 173 349.
Dr Young was pleased the new cases were all linked, but worried the government had not determined how the outbreak began.
“We do need to continue testing throughout all 11 LGAs and throughout Queensland so we can make sure we don’t have anymore transmission events or outbreaks happening,” she said.
Dr Young said Queenslanders should “get tested if you have any symptoms at all” and she hoped the cluster’s growth would be halted and it would “burn out” by restricting movement with the lockdown.
She pleaded with Coast residents and the rest of the southeast to “just stay home”.
“If you don’t need to leave home, please don’t leave home,” she said.
Dr Young was pleased roads were largely deserted when she travelled into Brisbane earlier on Tuesday morning.
Queensland will have more AstraZeneca vaccine supplies soon, she said.
Dr Young said it was her goal to lift the lockdown on Sunday at 4pm, as planned, but new cases must be in quarantine for their full infectious period.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said the public should “go with your gut feeling” when considering venturing outside, and question whether they should be going out.
“I know we can do this and if we do it well and do it hard and do it quick maybe we can get through this week,” she said.
“But we need more people getting tested and we need more people staying at home.
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“So let’s make sure we are keeping our children safe and the most vulnerable in the community by staying home.”
Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said Monday was the busiest time for enforcement from officers since the pandemic started.
In total, Queensland Police arrested 21 people – 15 of the arrests were linked to protests.
“We’re going to increase our presence in the community,” he said.
Mr Gollschewski said police would be more active and have a s roadside presence, similar to RBTs, to ensure Covid-19 restrictions compliance.
The state government has provided an update on the virus at a 10am press conference in Brisbane.
Queensland’s new cases compared to 199 new local Covid-19 cases in New South Wales and four new local cases in Victoria.
Meanwhile, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has issued a stark warning about the Delta variant in a message penned from quarantine, after she controversially travelled to Tokyo to secure the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane.
“Once again we find ourselves battling this hideous virus,” she said.
“We know the Delta strain moves faster. This Delta strain is spreading among our children and impacting on many households.
“So what do we do? Our first job is to stop it spreading. The more we move, the more the virus moves. Stay home. Don’t leave unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
Ms Palaszczuk urged Queenslanders to get tested.
“Thank you to those waiting in testing centre queues,” she said.
“I am naturally optimistic and positive. I think Queenslanders are too. Already this year, Queenslanders have fought back more than a dozen separate Covid outbreaks.
“Wearing masks and keeping our distance has kept us all safe.
“It’s going to take an extra effort from all of us to beat this new strain and end the lockdown as soon as possible.
“I know all of this is easy to say and there are thousands doing it tough, not least those families in home quarantine. But we will get through this. We have defeated Covid before.
“And with all of us working together, it will never defeat us.”
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Anyone suffering symptoms of the virus, however mild, should urgently get tested at their nearest testing centre and isolate until a result is received.
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