Health Minister, Chief Health Officer provide update on COVID cases in Queensland

Health Minister Steven Miles has revealed one new case of COVID-19 in Queensland in the past 24 hours while sewage tests in Townsville have tested positive for the virus. It comes as he declared the Queensland Government will not be bullied over border restrictions.

Health Minister Steven Miles has blasted the state’s border critics as he raised concerns about positive tests for the pandemic virus in Townsville sewage.

Mr Miles said Queensland had recorded one new case for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in the past 24 hours – a man in his 20s who was in hotel quarantine.

He said the man, who had recently returned from the Philippines, was one of four active cases of the virus in Queensland, three of them in hospital.

The case takes the number of confirmed infections in Queensland since the pandemic began to 1161.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young is providing an update on COVID-19. Picture: Jono Searle

News of the latest case comes as Mr Miles hit out at Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the LNP and former politician Clive Palmer over their criticisms of Queensland’s public health restrictions.

“We are not going to be bullied by these campaigns, we are going to stick to our guns, we are going to stay strong and we are going to keep Queenslanders safe,” he said.

His Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young announced positive test results for SARS-CoV-2 in Townsville, admitting she was worried about the possibility of an unidentified case spreading the virus in the state’s north.

“We do know that 20 per cent of people can shed the virus and have absolutely no symptoms,” Dr Young said.

“That could have occurred and they could have spread it to someone so that is my concern. I hope that theory is wrong.

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Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles. Picture: Alix Sweeney

“It is really important that anyone in Townsville today with any symptoms please come forward and get tested immediately and isolate yourself until you get that result.”

Both Mr Miles and Dr Young defended Queensland’s processes for approving exemptions for hotel quarantine as “fair” in light of reports multi-millionaire executive Jayne Hrdlicka and her husband, who has cancer, were allowed to isolate in a luxury Brisbane home after moving from Victoria.

Since August 1, Queensland has issued about 60 exemptions to hotel quarantine, including to Ms Hrdlicka’s husband.

Ms Hrdlicka is Tennis Australia chair and a key figure with the US-based venture capitalist firm Bain Capital.

“When their applications are considered, there is no consideration given to who they are,” Mr Miles said.

“The only consideration is their circumstances, their health circumstances, their health needs and where and how they can safely quarantine.

“I don’t know the woman who was reported on today, I don’t know her husband.

“I understand the Chief Health Officer did not know who they were when these considerations were made.

“The only information was the health information and that is exactly the process that has kept Queensland safe, kept Queenslanders safe throughout this pandemic.

“Frankly, I’m sick and tired of people trying to use individual stories, the individual distress of people, to try to criticise the restrictions that have kept Queenslanders safe.”

Dr Young said a thorough process had been put in place to work through every single exemption request.

“We receive many, many thousands,” she said.

“We have a very large team of around 110 people who assess all of the exemptions that come through. If there’s any clinical component to the request for that exemption, it goes to a clinician and they assess it and then it goes to a team of five doctors.

“The decision is made purely on the health needs of the individual. The exemption was not given to that executive individual. The exemption was given to her partner.

“Of course, I don’t separate individuals from their partners, who have been with them wherever they are coming from, so that they can quarantine together as they would quarantine in a hotel.”

Dr Young said she was worried about the number of pandemic coronavirus cases with links to healthcare settings in NSW.

Originally published as Health Minister, Chief Health Officer provide update on COVID cases in Queensland