10 things: Queensland’s rapidly evolving Covid situation explained
From cases of community transmission to border closures and new restrictions, here’s everything you need to know about the rapidly evolving Covid situation in Queensland right now.
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The Covid situation in Queensland is rapidly evolving with new cases out in the community, states going into lockdown, borders closing and a positive Virgin Australia crew member.
With so much happening on the Covid front and restrictions returning to Queensland from Monday, 6am, we decided to break it down for you.
Here is everything you need to know about Covid in Queensland right now.
Q: So what is going on in Queensland?
A: A woman and her partner have tested positive and are believed to have been infectious in the community since June 20. They are friends of three people who attended the Portugese restaurant where a flight attendant ate last weekend, and infected fellow diners, but did not dine there themselves. The woman works at DFO Brisbane Airport and at Brisbane’s police watchhouse as a cleaner. Her partner works on the Sunshine Coast, but his job hasn’t been released yet. They are assumed to have the Alpha variant - that’s the UK strain.
Q: How did they get infected if they didn’t dine at the restaurant and the diners were all in quarantine?
A: Authorities are still figuring this out and are looking at a number of scenarios, including whether any diners passed on the virus before they entered quarantine, or whether someone broke quarantine restrictions.
Q: Where have they been?
A: Queensland Health will release a list of exposure sites and want people who were there to isolate at home and get tested.
Q:What are the other cases of concern?
A: A miner has plunged the NT into a lockdown after apparently contracting the Delta variant - that’s the super contagious variant out of India that’s ripping through Sydney - during a nine-hour stay in Brisbane hotel quarantine. He was flying to the NT from regional Victoria and had a lay-over here. Authorities put him in quarantine here because our borders were closed to Victoria at the time, but the NT was not closed to regional Victoria, allowing him to fly on. He only tested positive once in NT after Queensland identified the Novotel as an exposure site.
Q:What’s the Virgin Australia case and how concerning is that?
A: A Virgin Australia cabin crew member worked five interstate flights to and from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast on Friday and Saturday. There was a Sydney to Brisbane leg on Friday and a Sydney to Gold Coast leg on Saturday, but authorities are hoping that the people on those flights - who are easily identifiable - are all in home quarantine anyway because they had come from Sydney. It’s unclear what variant the crew member has, but Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young says it’s likely the Delta variant too.
Q:Might we go into a lockdown?
A: It’s a little early for that but Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today made it clear that she is still a fan of “short, sharp lockdowns”. Dr Young says they’ll consider all possibilities if there are outbreaks in Queensland.
Q:I was in NSW recently but am back home in Queensland now. What am I meant to do?
A: Anyone who has been to Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong areas since June 21 must isolate wherever they are for a period of two weeks since they left. This is not a suggestion, it’s a direction and fines apply if you ignore it. You can leave home for one of four reasons, just like in Sydney. That’s to seek medical care, exercise outside, attend work if no one else can do your job and you can’t do it from home, and to buy groceries or other essential items.
Q: I’m meant to be holidaying in NSW soon outside of the red zone. Can I still go?
A: There’s technically nothing stopping you, but Queensland health authorities are imploring you not to go. Queensland will seriously consider a hard border closure to the whole of NSW if Covid cases spread outside of the current red zones identified around Greater Sydney and you may find yourself having to stump up for a two-week hotel quarantine stay on your return.
Q:I’m not feeling 100 per cent, but I’m pretty sure it’s just a cold. What do I do?
A: Authorities want you to assume nothing and to get tested, even if you don’t think you have any links to the exposure sites. People without symptoms have been spreading the virus, so you may well be connected to a cluster and not know it. And stay home until you’re better.
Q:Where can I get tested?
A: You can find a testing clinic here: https://www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19/stay-informed/testing-and-fever-clinics
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