Alert for popular Bunnings as new community case recorded in Qld

Queensland has recorded one new locally acquired case of the UK strain of COVID-19, sparking an urgent alert for a popular Bunnings.

A Brisbane Bunnings and a bottle shop are on high alert after a man who contracted the highly contagious UK strain of COVID-19 visited the stores while potentially infectious.

Queensland recorded just one new locally acquired case of COVID-19 overnight, the partner of a hotel quarantine worker who contracted the virus last week.

The Hotel Grand Chancellor cleaner tested positive last Thursday, sending Brisbane into a three-day lockdown while authorities raced to trace, test, and isolate more than 300 close contacts.

The woman’s partner is the only contact to have tested positive so far.

Two further cases were recorded in hotel quarantine – a father and daughter who recently returned from Lebanon, and 13,480 tests were conducted in the last testing period.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the news was “very reassuring” and she thanked Brisbane residents for “doing the right thing”.

“I want to say how personally grateful and proud I am of the work that everybody has been doing during the lockdown and now post-lockdown. It’s great to see,” she said.

Brisbane residents will need to continue to wear a mask until at least January 22, despite the spread of a highly contagious strain of COVID-19 being so far contained. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Josh Woning

Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said the man was first tested the morning of January 7, after his partner’s positive result. He developed “minor” symptoms later that evening.

Although Dr Young said there is “little risk”, an alert was issued on Monday night for Bunnings Acacia Ridge and Sunnybank Cellars, after contact tracing found the man had visited the venues while potentially infectious.

Anyone who visited Bunnings between 2-2.45pm on January 5 and Sunnybank Cellars between 2.05-2.15pm on January 6 must get tested immediately and quarantine for 14 days.

“The risk is low, but the risk is there. So I really ask you to come forward,” she said.

“Whether or not they have symptoms, they need to … get tested immediately.”

While Greater Brisbane is no longer under lockdown, strict mask restrictions are in place until at least January 22.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said it was important strict measures stayed in place to prevent Queensland from seeing widespread devastation like in many other countries.

“The UK has had 30,000 deaths in 30 days … we cannot be complacent in Queensland,” she said.

“Queensland … you’ve done an incredible job over the last 12 months. We need you to continue doing that.

“Get tested if you have any symptoms, no matter how mild, anywhere in Queensland.”

In the five days since the first case of the UK variant was identified as being a risk to the Brisbane community, 79,419 tests have been carried out.

Dr Jeannette Young announced anyone travelling into Queensland from Victoria will no longer need to get tested. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Josh Woning

Dr Young also confirmed anyone entering Queensland from Victoria would no longer be required to get tested “unless they develop symptoms.”

“We’ve done a risk assessment of Victoria and given the reduction in risk, Victorians can still come into Queensland as they have been able to all along, but they only need to get tested if they have any symptoms,” Dr Young said.

Greater Brisbane remains locked out of some states, however the Northern Territory and ACT revoked the city’s hotspot status on Monday.

An investigation is ongoing into how the quarantine worker contracted the virus in the first place.

Originally published as Alert for popular Bunnings as new community case recorded in Qld