No new community COVID-19 cases as restrictions on hospitals, aged care homes continue

Queensland’s Premier is warning Brisbane residents they’re not out of the woods yet, as she extends some provisions until Friday.

Brisbane hospitals, aged care homes and disability residential services will remain locked down until at least Friday, despite no new cases of COVID-19 detected in the community on Tuesday.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the cluster linked to the Hotel Grand Chancellor, which includes two returned travellers and a doctor from the Princess Alexandra Hospital, had not grown any further.

More than 400 close contacts were detected through contact tracing and at the hospital, and 58 per cent of the tests have so far come back negative.

“We’re feeling a little bit relieved today,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“(But) we will be extending for a further 72 hours the provisions we have put in place across Brisbane.”

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said some restrictions would need to continue until Friday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

Hospitals, aged care and disability care homes will remain locked down until Friday.

“Just while we finalise all of this data and get the test results in,” she said.

“We will be able to update everyone on Friday... and fingers crossed it will be good news.

“That would mean on the weekend people would be able to go and see their loved ones. We’re just asking the community to be patient for another 72 hours.”

The state recorded two new cases of COVID-19 overnight, both detected in hotel quarantine.

The deputy chief health officer said there appeared to be ‘no significant breach’ at the Hotel Grand Chancellor. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

The deputy chief health officer Sonya Bennett said more than 1000 people had been contacted at the hospital to determine whether they were contacts of the doctor.

“We’re very reassured,” she said.

“With respect to the Hotel Grand Chancellor incident, we’ve still got some information to get through.”

Dr Bennett said no “significant breach” has been identified.

All impacted staff and guests who had left quarantine have been tested and isolated. Meanwhile, guests who quarantined on floor since March 5 one will need to undergo a further two weeks of quarantine.

It comes as Ms Palaszczuk and Queensland health minister Yvette D’Ath celebrated healthcare workers on the Gold Coast receiving their second dose of the vaccine.

“In fact, when it comes to phase 1A, Gold Coast University Hospital has completed their 1A group... for their first vaccination,” Ms D’Ath said.

“They’re moving onto 1B group already here... That’s really exciting news.”

Of the more than 10,000 staff at the Gold Coast University Hospital, more than 60 per cent have had their first vaccination.

Registered Nurse Zoe Park was the first Queenslander to receive the COVID-19 jab two weeks ago, and became the first to be fully vaccinated on the Gold Coast. by Nigel Hallett-Pool/Getty Images)

Nurse Zoe Park was the first Queenslander to receive the jab two weeks ago, and said she was “excited” to now be fully vaccinated.

“My family were really encouraged to see I’d gotten it,” Ms Park told Ms Palaszczuk and Ms D’Ath from inside the Gold Coast University Hospital.

“It’s great to see we’ve seen our first Queenslander fully (immunised),” Ms D’Ath said in response.

Ms Palaszczuk said within the next two weeks, the Queensland government would finish vaccinating everyone in category 1A and move onto 1B.

“Of course, 1B is both commonwealth and state responsibility as well... and it does depend on the dosage we receive,” she said.