COVID-infected tradie has Gold Coast on edge after visiting 11 sites

The Gold Coast is holding its breath after a local COVID-positive tradie - who moonlighted as a stripper at a superspreader hen’s party - visited 11 potential exposure sites across the city including surf titles and an aged care home.

Janelle Miles and Greg Stolz

3 min read

March 31, 2021 - 9:21AM

Queensland Health identifies two 'distinct' COVID clusters

QLD News

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The Gold Coast is holding its breath after a local tradie moonlighting as a stripper at a COVID-infected hen’s party at Byron Bay visited 11 potential exposure sites across the city, including an aged care centre now in lockdown and surf lifesaving titles.

The sites are in Southport, Mermaid Beach, Bundall, Tugun, Kirra, Nobby Beach and Surfers Paradise and included the Queensland State Surf Life Saving Championships.

Thousands of competitors at the titles will have to be tested for COVID-19, with authorities asking anyone who was there between 12.30pm and 2pm on Sunday to be immediately tested.

Competitors taking part in the final day of the Queensland State Surf Life Saving Championships at Tugun beach on Sunday. Anyone there anyone between 12.30pm and 2pm has been asked to be tested. Picture: Mike Batterham

Other exposure sites identified by Queensland Health include the Tugun Supermarket, Kirra Surf, 52 Espresso cafe at Nobby Beach, Epic Escape Room at Southport and Rafiki Cafe at Mermaid Beach.

Queensland Health said TriCare Mermaid Beach centre had already vaccinated its aged care residents but was now fast-tracking the vaccination of staff.

TriCare Mermaid Beach this morning after it was revealed a worker at the site may have been exposed to COVID-19. Picture: Glenn Hampson

The tradie, who was contracted to complete building works, is part of an eight-person COVID-19 virus cluster that began at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate warned the next 24 hours would be critical for the Glitter Strip as it, too, faced the prospect of a lockdown, with the number of exposure sites soaring.

“Any new contact site is a concern but I have been delighted in how our residents are responding,” he said.

“Record line-ups are at COVID testing centres, the vast majority of residents wearing masks when in public spaces, and businesses are showing innovation and initiative to keep their doors open. The next 24 hours is critical.”

The man also visited the Kirra Surf shop.

Destination Gold Coast CEO Patricia O’Callaghan said the rising number of COVID exposure sites on the Coast was concerning, but tourism operators were trusting Queensland Health to handle the crisis and avoid a local lockdown.

“Hopefully it won’t lead to additional restrictions,” she said.

In a statement, the aged care home said the tradie had worked there for about two hours on Monday to complete some building works before testing positive to COVID-19.

“The contractor had no direct contact with any aged care residents and limited interaction with two staff members. Both staff are quarantining as per Queensland Health Directions,” the nursing home said.

“The contractor’s temperature was taken on commencement of work on Monday with a non-elevated reading. When advised he was a close contact of a confirmed case, he left the site immediately, as did all other contractors working at the site.

“We are treating this situation as extremely serious. The aged care residence is in full lockdown and following personal protective equipment protocol.”

Workers onsite at TriCare Mermaid Beach Tuesday morning after it was revealed a worker (not pictured) at the site may have been exposed to COVID-19. Picture: Glenn Hampson

All aged care residents at the Gold Coast home, except those who were unwell or did not provide consent, received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as part of the Federal Government rollout, on March 11.

Twenty people who worked there were also vaccinated that day.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young has instructed Queensland Health to ensure the remaining workers are vaccinated as soon as possible.

“The team down at the Gold Coast are organising to go to that facility today and vaccinate the staff,” she told a news conference.

Dr Young said the Princess Alexandra Hospital nurse at the centre of the cluster was believed to have become infected while working at the hospital on March 23 and into the early hours of March 24.

But investigations are underway as to how she caught the virus as she was not assigned to the COVID-19 ward for that shift.

“Of course we are looking at this and how it’s happened,” Dr Young said.

“It’s too early to know. It’s not because we haven’t looked, it’s just too early.”

Dr Young said staff at the PA Hospital where the nurse worked were undergoing testing “to see if there’s been another case” there.