Coronavirus Queensland: Infected women’s eight disastrous days

After landing in Queensland, two women visited six suburbs and nine venues, including restaurants and bars, all while infected with COVID-19.

How did three Queensland women manage to evade the state’s strict border control measures for eight days before being discovered?

That’s one of the questions authorities are asking as they deal with the first new cases of COVID-19 since May.

The other question is: How many people will be infected as a result of the young women’s trip to Melbourne?

Olivia Winnie Muranga, 19, and Diana Lasu, 21, travelled together from Melbourne via Sydney to Brisbane, arriving in the Queensland capital on July 21. It’s now been revealed a third, unidentified woman, 21, travelled with them.

Ms Muranga, a cleaner at the now-closed Parklands Christian College in Brisbane’s south, tested positive to COVID-19 on Tuesday. Ms Lasu tested positive on Wednesday.

For allegedly lying to authorities about where they’d been and for failing to quarantine after visiting Victoria, the girls were each handed $4000 fines.

The sister of one of the girls has also tested positive and authorities are working overtime to contact trace the pair’s movements, describing the potential threat to community spread as “the perfect storm”.

There is a third young woman, who has not tested positive but is in isolation, linked to the women.

Queensland Police allege one of the three women is not co-operating and they do not know where she has been.

The trio had been at an illegal party in Melbourne attended by between 20 and 30 people.

“We’re still working with the Victorian authorities and are also interested into their activities and what they were doing and certainly any other activity since they have been in Queensland and before that,” Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said.

RELATED: Follow the latest coronavirus updates

Diana Lasu visited Melbourne before returning to Queensland.

Chief health officer Jeannette Young said she was worried the person not co-operating.

“I am very concerned about the second individual who has not been cooperative and has not shared with us where she has been,” she said.

“So we have not been able to contact those venues and we will continue to work with that individual and hopefully get information.

“That is why I am saying that people should be very cautious if they have got any symptoms at all, doesn’t matter where they live, in Brisbane, or indeed anywhere in the state, this is the time to get yourself tested.”

The women flew on Virgin Australia flight VA683 from Melbourne to Sydney on July 21 and Virgin Australia flight VA977 from Sydney to Brisbane that same day.

After landing, Queensland Health said the pair could have carried the virus to a number of locations.

They visited Parklands Christian College at Park Ridge between 9.30am and 6pm on July 22 and 23.

RELATED: Full list of who can enter Queensland under new restrictions

Diana Lasu.

Olivia Winnie Muranga.

The school issued a warning to staff and students on Wednesday.

They visited Madtongsan IV Restaurant at Sunnybank between 7-9pm on July 23, which is now linked to at least one new case.

A 27-year-old man tested positive to COVID-19 after spending time with two relatives who dined at that restaurant at the same time as the women.

The man likely contracted the virus from his relatives.

Queensland Health is waiting on test results, but Dr Young said one or both of the man’s relatives also likely have coronavirus.

The border jumpers followed dinner on July 23 with a visit to Heeretea Bubble Tea Shop at Sunnybank at 9.30pm.

On July 23 and 24 they worked at YMCA Chatswood Hills Outside School Hours Care at Springwood.

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

On July 27, the women visited Cowch Dessert Cocktail Bar at Southbank in Brisbane. The same day they went to P’Nut Street Noodles, also at Southbank.

They visited the African Grocery Shop at Woodridge on July 28. On the same day they also went to Chatime Grand Plaza at Browns Plains.

⚠️ Public Health Alert ⚠️
Community members on Brisbane’s southside are asked to remain alert but not alarmed as Queensland records three new cases of novel #coronavirus (#COVID-19).

For more information: https://t.co/BNxsKhERvl pic.twitter.com/E0iz9lUKWs

— Queensland Health (@qldhealthnews) July 29, 2020

RELATED: Victoria facing years cut off from rest of Australia

PREMIER ‘ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS’

“I’m absolutely furious that this has happened,” Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

“These two people have gone to Victoria, have come back and have given misleading information to authorities.

“There will be a thorough police investigation here but now we have to act as a community and in the areas where the chief health officer says need to be closed, will be closed and I urge people in those areas when that list goes out later on today to please ensure that if you are feeling sick you must go and get tested,” she said.

Queensland Health Minister Steve Miles said a massive contact tracing effort was under way around Brisbane and Logan following the pair’s actions.

“These young women have gone about their business in the communities that they live in and so there will be a large amount of contact tracing to be done, largely within the Logan and Springfield areas, including shopping malls, restaurants and a church,” he told reporters this morning.

“Our contact tracers are doing that work right now. There is also a number of close contacts in both of their households. They will now be ordered to quarantine.”