Coronavirus Queensland live: Charged woman speaks from hotel quarantine

One of the three women who sparked fears of a coronavirus spread in Queensland after allegedly lying to authorities has spoken from hotel quarantine.

One of the three woman who allegedly lied to authorities to get back into Queensland has spoken out from hotel quarantine.

Haja Timbo, 21, was identified as the third woman to be charged.

Ms Timbo, along with Olivia Winnie Muranga, 19, and Diana Lasu, 21, sparked the state’s outbreak fears.

There are also long queues of vehicles at road checkpoints on the New South Wales-Queensland border, where additional police have been sent to check vehicles crossing.

From 1am on Saturday, anyone travelling from Greater Sydney to the Sunshine State will have to endure a mandatory 14-day quarantine period in a hotel at their own expense, in response to an uptick in cases of COVID-19.

It comes as Queensland recorded a new case of coronavirus today, which has been linked to a cluster sparked by two of the three women who jumped the border returning from Melbourne.

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Our live coverage has ended for the day. Here's how it unfolded. 

Updates

6:51 pm July 31, 2020 Highlight

Alleged border jumper shares vile social media abuse

Diana Lasu, one of three women at the centre of a COVID-19 breach, has shared the torrent of racial and sexist abuse she's received on social media.

The 21-year-old shared the string of messages on Instagram, The Courier Mail reports, with the roughly 20 messages containing what the publication called "foul, abusive, racist and misogynistic language".

The comments were not published because of the nature of the language.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll told reporters this morning the racist behaviour of people on social media "is not productive at all".

"People doing the wrong thing come from all walks of life, backgrounds and community groups," she said.

"So it is important especially in these times that community groups actually come together rather than fracture."

4:02 pm July 31, 2020

Alleged Queensland border jumper speaks

One of the three woman who allegedly lied to authorities to get back into Queensland has spoken out from hotel quarantine.

Haja Timbo, 21, was identified as the third woman to be charged.

Ms Timbo, along with Olivia Winnie Muranga, 19, and Diana Lasu, 21, sparked the state’s outbreak fears.

Muranga and Lasu tested positive for COVID-19 after spending several days going about their business in the community.

Timbo has not tested positive but is in quarantine as a precaution.

All three women have been charged for giving misleading information and fraud related to their re-entry to the state, which imposed strict restrictions on travel from Victoria.

Ms Timbo is currently in hotel quarantine and briefly commented on the backlash the trip have received.

"Half of the things that are in the media aren’t true, so what can you do,” she told the Courier Mail.

“I want everything to be confidential. I don’t want to be in the media or my friends to be in the media."

2:20 pm July 31, 2020 Highlight

Mad dash to get home

At 1am tomorrow, Queensland will restrict access to the state for people coming from Greater Sydney, prompting a rush of people heading to the Sunshine State.

Sold-out flights have been packed with travellers keen to avoid a mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine, which will be imposed on anyone coming from Sydney.

Additional services have been added, with the few remaining seats selling for upwards of $1400 one way.

Roads from New South Wales into the Sunshine State are also heavily congested, with additional police sent to patrol checkpoints.

Police estimate that 8000 people will enter Queensland from Sydney today.

Picture: Chantelle Howton

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the new measures on Wednesday, catching most off guard – including her New South Wales counterpart Gladys Berejiklian.

Some tourism operators fear the restrictions will cost hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue, which is forecast to plunge by 70 per cent.

After tomorrow, any residents coming into Queensland from a declared hotspot will have to quarantine.

Non-residents coming from Greater Sydney – as well as Victoria – will be turned away.

1:43 pm July 31, 2020 Highlight

Queensland nurse tests positive

It’s been confirmed that a Queensland nurse who was sent to Victoria to help the state with its devastating second wave of COVID-19 has herself tested positive.

Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young revealed this diagnosis during a brief interview on ABC Radio this morning.

Queensland Health is taking steps to bring the nurse home to Brisbane, Dr Young said.

No other details were provided about the case.

12:44 pm July 31, 2020 Highlight

Two more border jumpers sprung

Police have intercepted two people who allegedly attempted to illegally cross the Queensland border via car.

The vehicle was stopped at a road checkpoint at Coolangatta this morning at 4am.

A woman, 25, was behind the wheel and had a valid border pass, a Queensland registration and resided in Brisbane.

However, officers discovered that she allegedly lied about spending time in two declared hotspots in Sydney. She was fined $4004 and denied entry.

Meanwhile, her passenger was arrested after police discovered he was subject to an outstanding warrant. He remains in custody.

12:05 pm July 31, 2020 Highlight

Clearer information on today's case

There’s an important update on today’s new case of coronavirus in Queensland.

Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said this morning that information about the 27-year-old man’s contacts was preliminary and confusing.

It’s now become clearer.

The man was dining with two relatives at a restaurant in Sunnybank on the evening of July 23 at the same time as Olivia Winnie Muranga, 19, and Diana Lasu, 21, but at a different table.

The groups weren’t known to each other, it's understood.

This marks the second instance of community transmission linked to the two women, who tested positive several days after returning from Melbourne, a trip they allegedly lied about to avoid quarantine.

One of the women’s sisters also contracted the virus from them.

The man's two relatives are being tested for COVID-19 – one works at an aged care facility, which has sparked concern.

11:29 am July 31, 2020 Highlight

Third border jumper named

The third woman who travelled to Melbourne and allegedly lied to authorities on returning to Queensland to avoid quarantine has been identified.

The Courier-Mail newspaper in Brisbane named her as Haja Timbo, 21 who, along with Olivia Winnie Muranga, 19, and Diana Lasu, 21, sparked the state’s outbreak fears.

Muranga and Lasu tested positive for COVID-19 after spending several days going about their business in the community.

Timbo has not tested positive but is in quarantine as a precaution.

All three women have been charged for giving misleading information and fraud related to their re-entry to the state, which imposed strict restrictions on travel from Victoria.

11:16 am July 31, 2020 Highlight

Everywhere women went after restaurant

The two women who brought COVID-19 back from Melbourne with them and allegedly jumped the border have spread the infection to at least one diner at a popular restaurant.

A 27-year-old man tested positive for coronavirus overnight, and health authorities say two of his relatives – whose swab results are pending – were at Madtongsan at Sunnybank on July 23 at the same time as Olivia Winnie Muranga, 19, and Diana Lasu, 21.

It’s suspected the man contracted the virus from his relatives, who chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said also likely have it now.

Muranga and Lasu went to multiple other venues across southeast Queensland after dining at the restaurant.

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Authorities say they followed dinner on July 23 with a visit to Heeretea Bubble Tea Shop at Sunnybank at 9.30pm.

On July 23 and 24 one of the women worked at YMCA Chatswood Hills Outside School Hours Care at Springwood.

On July 24, one went to Primary Medical and Dental Practice at Browns Plains and was there from 3.30-3.50pm.

On July 27, one of the women visited Cowch Dessert Cocktail Bar at South Bank in Brisbane.

The same day she went to P’Nut Street Noodles, also at South Bank.

One or both of the women visited the African Grocery Shop at Woodridge on July 28.

On the same day they also went to Chatime Grand Plaza at Browns Plains.

10:32 am July 31, 2020 Highlight

How new case is linked to border jumpers

Queensland’s newest case of coronavirus has triggered a panicked chain reaction across the southeast, including at an aged care facility.

A 27-year-old man tested positive for COVID-19 overnight and has been declared the fourth case in the cluster sparked by the two women who allegedly lied to sneak back into Brisbane from Melbourne.

“It’s confusing, I do apologise,” chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said while explaining the bizarre link.

It sure is confusing. Here’s what has taken place:

1. The man tested positive overnight and contact tracing took place.

2. The man had been in contact with a relative and the relative’s partner.

3. Those two people dined at a Korean restaurant in Sunnybank on July 23 called Madtongsan.

4. Olivia Winnie Muranga, 19, Diana Lasu, 21, the women who spent time in Melbourne, jumped the border and went into the community while infectious, were at that restaurant at the same time.

5. The women and the two relatives weren’t known to each other, it’s understood.

6. The two relatives have been tested but their results aren’t back, but Dr Young thinks it’s likely one or both will have COVID-19

7. One of those relatives works at the Bolton Clarke aged care facility in Pinjarra Hills.

10:08 am July 31, 2020 Highlight

Case linked to border jumper

Queensland has recorded a new case of coronavirus believed to be linked to one of the women who travelled to Melbourne, allegedly lied to return home, and then tested positive.

A 27-year-old man from Bellbird Park is in quarantine after his infection was confirmed, and chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young suspects he contracted it from a relative.

That relative dined at Madtongsan, a Korean restaurant, in Sunnybank on July 23 at the same time as one of the Victoria border jumpers.

“We do believe, as I said, that he contracted the infection from one of his relatives who attended that restaurant in Sunnybank on 23 July, which was one of those venues that the first case who went down to Melbourne attended,” Dr Young said.

“We are fairly comfortable that that's probably where he's got it but we will do contact tracing for him now as to who he might have come into contact with.”

Alarmingly, the relative works at an aged care facility, which has now enacted a COVID-19 emergency response plan.

“That is a very important, very rapid response and that aged care facility has done a very, very good job already this morning,” Dr Young said.