Qld outbreak grows after case travelled from Melbourne

Queensland has recorded two Covid-19 cases after a Melbourne couple left during Victoria’s lockdown, putting three states on high alert.

Queensland has confirmed two Covid-19 cases after it was revealed a Melbourne couple left lockdown and travelled on a road trip across two other states.

One of the cases, a 44-year-old woman who travelled from Melbourne, was confirmed yesterday, with her husband now also testing positive.

The woman and her husband left Victoria on June 1, four days after a statewide lockdown had come into force.

The pair travelled by car through regional NSW and into Queensland, stopping at multiple venues along the way.

The woman tested positive to Covid-19 at Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast on June 8 after joining relatives there, though it is understood she had been experiencing symptoms since at least June 3.

The Queensland case numbers came shortly after Victorian authorities revealed four new Covid-19 infections had been recorded.

The cases came from the same household but the source of the infections is still not known.

as a result, Victorian authorities have made a minor change to the easing of restrictions across Melbourne tonight, with masks continuing to be required to be worn outdoors.

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Covid testing has ramped up at Caloundra after news of a Victorian woman testing positive in the holiday town.

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Queensland’s chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said it appeared both of the state’s cases were towards the end of their infectious period.

However, she said it was still extremely important for residents to come forward and get tested.

“It’s still there, and I still need everyone to come forward who develops any symptoms at all who lives in the Sunshine Coast, or Goondiwindi or Toowoomba – it’s very, very important,” she said.

“We’ve seen a lot of testing already started. That needs to continue, just so we can make sure that there hasn’t been any transmission out there.”

So far authorities have identified 17 immediate close contacts, with three of those testing negative to the virus. Two of those negative results came from the parents that the couple were staying with.

Victoria’s Acting Premier James Merlino said health officials were conducting interviews with the couple and flagged the possibility that they may have been moving house, which would mean they wouldn’t have broken lockdown the lockdown rules.

Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young talks to the media at a COVID press conference. Picture: NCA NewsWire/John Gass

However, they may still have been in breach of Queensland’s border rules if they didn’t possess a valid exemption permit.

“Victoria was not able to speak to the couple yesterday for a case interview but we will do so today, and I think it is important to note that if they were relocating it is not a breach of directions here in Victoria but we just don’t know,” Mr Merlino said.

It appears it was sheer luck that the infected Melbourne woman was caught, with the Courier Mail reporting the woman only got tested because her husband needed a negative covid test result for work purposes.

The Melbourne woman is being managed by Sunshine Coast University Hospital staff and her husband is also in hospital being monitored.

Health authorities are now facing a “challenging” next few days as they scramble to retrace the woman’s steps.

It is still not known how the couple acquired the infection, but early investigations suggest they may be linked to the Craigieburn Central shopping centre outbreak.

Victoria’s deputy chief health officer, Professor Allen Cheng, revealed one of the cases checked in at the shopping centre on May 23.

“I think the fact that we’ve been able to identify a possible link to the Craigieburn shopping centre within hours of hearing about these cases and even before being able to speak to these cases, really highlights the value that we have in QR codes that we can interrogate that database very quickly,” he said.

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Theory emerges on how couple went undetected

As all three states scramble to track the couple’s movements, questions have been raised about how they managed to escape lockdown in the first place and cross into two new states without being caught.

Melburnians in lockdown were banned from travelling 5km from home and Victorians have been banned from entering NSW unless they live in border communities.

Queensland declared all of Victoria a hotspot on May 28, meaning anybody who had been in Victoria within 14 days of attempting to enter Queensland faced mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine.

The couple took a route through regional NSW, stopping at Gillenbah, Forbes, Dubbo and Moree before crossing the border into Queensland at Goondiwindi – a town on the MacIntyre River, 350km south west of Brisbane.

According to the Courier Mail, one theory about the couple’s route is that they chose to cross the border at Goondiwindi because the focus of police patrols were on the border at the Gold Coast.

However, the inland drive from Victoria to Queensland, crossing the border at Goondiwindi, is a popular route.

Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski refused to be drawn on the question of whether the pair “lied on her declaration form”, saying the circumstances around their travel would be investigated.

So far 20 exposure sites linked to the Melbourne woman have been identified by NSW and Queensland health authorities.

In NSW a number of cafes, pubs and motels across Dubbo, Moree, Forbes and Gillenbah have been identified as venues of concern.

In Queensland a McDonalds, Kmart, shopping centre and IGA are among some of the venues identified across Goondiwindi, Toowoomba, Moffat Beach, Kings Beach, Caloundra, Buddina and Baringa.

Melbourne’s lockdown to ease tonight

Melbourne residents are set to emerge from a tough two-week lockdown tonight, with Acting Premier James Merlino announcing “significant steps” to easing restrictions on Wednesday.

Fromm 11.59pm tonight Melbourne will be able to move to “most of the same settings” currently in place across the rest of the state, with regional Victoria also moving to further ease restrictions.

Melburnians will be restricted to a 25km travel limit, with the only reasons to travel further being for work, education, caregiving or getting vaccinated.

The ban on visitors to households will remain but outdoor gatherings will be increased to 10 people.

Masks will still be required in both outdoor and indoor settings, after Mr Merlino announced the slight adjustment to the rules on Thursday.

That decision was met with questions from the media about whether there had ever been a person infected in Australia by transmission outdoors.

Covid response commander Jeroen Weiman confirmed there had not, but said it was still an important measure given there are mystery cases in the community.

The country’s chief medical officer Paul Kelly said it was a decision for Victoria.

“I think the rationale for the Victorian decision is an abundance of caution,” he said.

“It is a reminder that COVID has not gone away and can come back at any time and we need to be cautious. It is also a great opportunity to consider getting the vaccine.”

Travel to regional Victoria is still banned.

Covid-19 testing takes place in Melbourne’s outer northern suburb of Craigieburn. Picture: Ian Currie

For regional Victoria the some of the changes include allowing two adults per day, plus their dependants, as household visitors, with public gatherings also increased to 20 people.

Restaurants and cafes can open to a maximum of 150 per venue for seated service, including up to 75 allowed indoors.

Religious ceremonies will be capped at 150 per venue, with no more than 75 people allowed indoors. Funerals will be limited to 75 people and weddings will be capped at 20.

Victoria’s chief health officer Professor Brett Sutton warned residents that they were “still not back to normal” and urged people to continue to be on high alert for Covid-19 symptoms.

He said there could still be undetected cases within the community, making high testing rates so important.

“It is an awfully painful period. I have always had in mind that we need to do what is required to make sure that we get back down to zero. There is really no alternative,” Professor Sutton said.

“Our national strategy of aggressive suppression is there for a reason. If you do not get to zero, there is no grumbling along with one or two cases. This started with one case in Wollert that has led to almost 100 cases over a period of a few weeks. So we absolutely have to drive it back down to zero.”