Coronavirus Qld: Locally acquired case reportedly detected in flight attendant at Longreach

Queensland has recorded one new locally acquired Covid case in the past 24 hours, with a flight attendant from Brisbane’s north testing positive to the Delta variant after travelling on six separate flights.

Authorities have confirmed one new locally acquired Covid-19 case has been detected – a flight attendant who travelled on six separate flights between Brisbane, Longreach, Gladstone and Hervey Bay.

Acting Premier Steven Miles said it was imperative that everyone on those flights was tracked down as it has been confirmed the woman has the Delta variant.

“It is absolutely urgent that we get every passenger on those flights tested as soon as possible,” Mr Miles said.

“Given this is some time ago, if we can get all of the passengers tested, that will give a picture of whether there is a greater risk here than we’re currently aware of.”

“This also shows that this is not a problem just for southeast Queensland,” Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the case was a woman in her 30s who lives in Banyo.

“It’s a new outbreak,” Dr Young said.

The Covid-positive woman has remained in Brisbane since July 13 and contact tracers are working to find if she has been out in the community.

Her symptoms started on July 13 and got tested this week. The woman told contact tracers that she first experienced symptoms on July 13.

Dr Young said the woman was tested on Wednesday July 21 and her result came back on Thursday afternoon.

“I would have far preferred that she got tested on July 13, of course I would have,” she said.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young, with Acting Premier Steven Miles. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

Dr Young said given the “enormous amount of testing” that had been carried out in Queensland over the past few weeks, it didn’t add up that no other cases related to the flight attendant had been found.

“It’s not actually making sense to me that we’ve got this and we’ve not had other cases because we know with the Delta variant, and I’ve confirmed that it is the Delta variant, we know that it usually spreads within two days,” Dr Young said.

“In Victoria they are seeing spread from one person to the next in 30 hours so I would have expected there would have been spread and then spread and then spread, and I’ve not seen that.”

Dr Young said she needed more information before considering another lockdown.

“It could be that this flight attendant has done everything that was required and maintained distance, and that there’s been good hygiene,” she said.

“That’s why we’ve got all those plans in place.

“If not one person on all of those six flights tests positive today, that would be very reassuring.”

The crew member operated the six flights on a 74 seat Dash-8 Q400 aircraft .

She said people who test positive in Longreach, Gladstone or Hervey Bay would be flown to a Brisbane hospital.

The flight attendant flew between Brisbane and Longreach and back on July 11 while infectious.

The attendant is understood to have worked on QantasLink flights QF2534 and QF2535 but did not leave the aircraft on the return flight from Longreach to Brisbane.

She did, howeve, stay overnight in Gladstone on July 1, at the Mantra on Yaralla hotel (formerly the Gladstone Mercure).

QantasLink said it was working with Queensland health to contact customers and crew on six interstate flights last week.

“The crew member has not worked since 11-12 July (10+ days ago) and did not develop symptoms until 13 July. There have been no other reports of positive COVID cases from these flights,” the statement said.

“The crew member is currently in self-isolation and we are providing them our full support as they focus on their recovery.

“Investigations by Queensland Health and Qantas Medical are underway to determine how the crew member contracted the virus.”

The crew member operated the six flights on a 74 seat Dash-8 Q400 aircraft and did not leave the aircraft in Hervey Bay and Longreach.

Crew who worked on these flights have been identified as close contacts, they are being tested for Covid-19 and will be isolated for 14 days since they last worked with the positive case.

There has been one confirmed Qantas flight where community transmission occurred since the beginning of the pandemic, when 60 passengers who were on the Ruby Princess flew on a four hour flight with no masks.

Qantas has previously asked for priority access for crew to receive Covid-19 vaccinations.

Minister Glenn Butcher was on one of the flights and has been tested. He is in home quarantine.

Anyone living in Longreach, Gladstone and Hervey Bay needs to come forward and get tested no matter how small their symptoms are.

A Covid testing clinic will open from 9am at the Longreach Showgrounds.

The woman lives in Banyo and departed on regional flights from Brisbane Domestic Airport.

Dr Young said authorities were working with her about where she had been since her symptoms started.

She urged everyone to check the list of exposure sites that will go online later on Friday.

The woman has the Delta variant.

Authorities don’t know how she acquired it but it is the same variant as the one circulating in Sydney.

Extra testing capacity has been set up in those regional areas affected.

More than 17,000 tests were undertaken yesterday.

The flight attendant is the only new local case reported on Friday but two more infections were detected among returning travellers in hotel quarantine.

Barcaldine Regional Council Mayor Sean Dillon said the situation was being closely monitored, with further information to be released on Friday.

“Council’s Local Disaster Management Group has met and moved to Lean Forward Status and is closely monitoring the situation,” he said.

“If anyone has any concerns please contact Queensland Health for direct and specific advice.

“If you have any symptoms or are concerned please get tested and stay at home.”

Queensland Health had declined to comment on the situation prior to Friday morning’s press conference.

There have been delays at the NSW border after Queensland shut it at 1am this morning.

Motorists have been urged to be patient.

Originally published as Coronavirus Qld: Locally acquired case reportedly detected in flight attendant at Longreach