Rolling coverage: Holidays back on as Brisbane exits lockdown

Queensland authorities say they’ve solved the mystery link between the clusters that triggered lockdown. It comes as Victoria recorded no new local cases but Melbourne’s west is on alert.

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Residents across Melbourne’s west are being urged to remain vigilant after coronavirus fragments were discovered at the Altona wastewater treatment facility.

While Victoria has marked its 35th consecutive day of no new locally acquired cases, the fragments originally detected on Friday March 26 were confirmed by further tests.

Health authorities are encouraging anyone who lives in or has visited Altona, Altona Meadows, Hoppers Crossing, Laverton, Point Cook, Seabrook, Seaholme and Williams Landing between March 22 and 26, and who has COVID-19 symptoms, to get tested.

The wastewater discovery follows another unexpected virus fragment detection in a catchment in Melbourne’s west and Melbourne’s southeast.

While locals in these areas should remain on high alert, a Department of Health spokeswoman confirmed no new virus fragments had been detected at Altona since March 26.

“Fragments of the virus detected in wastewater may be due to a person with COVID-19 being in the early active infectious phase or it could be because someone is continuing to shed the virus after the early infectious period,” the DHHS says.

Anyone who visited these locations between the following dates and has COVID-19 symptoms is being urged to get tested even if they show the mildest signs of illness:

• Altona, Altona Meadows, Hoppers Crossing, Laverton, Point Cook, Seabrook, Seaholme, Williams Landing: March 23 to 26

• Hoppers Crossing, Tarneit, Truganina and Werribee: March 22 to 29

• Beaconsfield, Berwick, Clyde North, Cranbourne East, Cranbourne North, Guys Hill, Hallam, Hampton Park, Harkaway, Narre Warren, Narre Warren North, Narre Warren South, Officer and Upper Beaconsfield: March 21 to 25

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk addresses the media. Picture: Tertius Pickard

QLD CASE BELIEVED TO BE MISSING LINK

Queensland has recorded eight new cases as Greater Brisbane emerges from lockdown, with seven acquired overseas and detected in hotel quarantine.

There is one historical case — a nurse who worked at the Princess Alexandra Hospital — which is believed to be the missing link to the first cluster.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the new case was a historical case and may help solve the mystery of the recent outbreak in the Sunshine State.

“We believe this historical case is the missing link from the first cluster,” she told reporters.

“So that’s fantastic news.”

It is assumed this nurse was infected by the same returning traveller being treated at the Brisbane hospital as the original infection in a doctor on March 10.

This nurse did not fall ill, but passed the deadly virus on to her partner who then became the source of the cluster which spread across Brisbane’s inner north.

“So this is yet another nurse who has unfortunately, through doing nothing wrong, has contracted the infection from a gentleman who is clearly a super-spreader,” chief health officer Jeannette Young said on Friday.

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NEW FEARS AFER HOSPITAL BREACH

A woman who breached strict quarantine orders at a Brisbane hospital will be tested repeatedly as authorities fear she may have infected the community.

She was identified as being a close contact of a known case and was isolating at the Princess Alexandra Hospital amid the Greater Brisbane lockdown.

But the woman managed to leave the facility on Thursday and reportedly spent a few hours in the community before police escorted her back to the hospital.

Queensland Police’s Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said the woman left the hospital about 3am, and was later found at New Farm.

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School holidays trips to Queensland could be back on for Victorians

QLD HOLIDAYS BACK ON THE CARDS

School holidays trips to Queensland could be back on for Victorians after Brisbane’s danger rating was downgraded.

And those who had been forced into home quarantine after returning from Brisbane will be free to leave home after receiving a negative COVID test.

The state government on Thursday downgraded Brisbane’s “red zone” rating after the city emerged from its three-day lockdown. However, authorities still advised Victorians to avoid non-essential travel to the area.

“Everyone planning an interstate trip should be aware of our travel permit system, and what it will mean for you and your family if you’re in a location that gets designated an orange or red zone,” the updated advice said.

“Victorians know that this virus can move fast. We make decisions based on public health advice and sometimes that advice must be implemented quickly.”

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk brought forward the end of the lockdown on Thursday, declaring: “That is good news for Queensland and Easter is good to go.”

The plans of thousands of Victorians were thrown into chaos when Brisbane was plunged into a snap lockdown on Monday.

It prompted the Victorian Health Department to deem Brisbane a red zone — just days before Easter school holidays begin — meaning Victorians would need to apply for a permit to return home and isolate for 14 days.

Now an orange zone, those returning from Brisbane only need to isolate until they get a negative test result.

There was no change to current orange zones in the Gladstone region and NSW’s Byron Shire, where outbreaks also occurred.

Brisbane’s lockdown ended just in time for Easter.