COVID NSW: Byron Bay on alert over four new Queensland cases
NSW holidaymakers looking to travel to greater Brisbane have been told to change their plans as Queensland suffers a COVID-19 outbreak.
NSW
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Health alerts have been issued for a raft of additional locations in Byron Bay attended by COVID cases from the Brisbane cluster.
Anyone who was at the Mokha Cafe on Saturday from 10.30am to 11.30am or the womens toilets at the Suffolk Beachfront Holiday Park at various times on Friday night and Saturday afternoon must get tested and isolate until further notice.
Six venues in Byron Bay have also been listed as casual contact venues.
Positive cases visited Ghanda Clothing, Tiger Lily, Black Sheep, Quicksilver, Suffolk Bakery, and Park Hotel Bottle Shop at various times on Saturday afternoon and evening.
The health alerts take the number of Byron Bay venues visited by the Queensland cases to 10.
Meanwhile anyone who has arrived in NSW since March 20 must comply with the same stay-at-home orders as put in place in Greater Brisbane, or face a fine.
‘DO NOT TRAVEL TO BRISBANE’
NSW will not close the border to Queensland but holidaymakers looking to travel to greater Brisbane have been told to change their plans.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said NSW Health has stepped up its protocols for people travelling into the state from Queensland.
She said health staff have been working on our states response to the emerging Brisbane cluster.
Ms Berejiklian told people thinking of travelling to Brisbane over the long weekend to change their plans.
However she said NSW is “not shutting down our border”.
Chief health officer Kerry Chant said people who have visited two Byron Bay locations attended by positive COVID cases are being contacted.
The Premier has lauded the QR code system while urging people to avoid travelling to Queensland as the sunshine state prepares for lockdown.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said health officials would be contacting people who were at the same locations as two infected people who visited Byron Bay.
Warnings are in place for people who visited the Byron Beach Hotel and The Farm.
“To date we can confirm that two people who were infectious were not from NSW or from Queensland, and subsequently did visit other venues,” Premier Berejiklian said.
“Fortunately, this is really critical, those people did check-in through their QR code and health is in the process of contacting those people.
Already almost 2000 people have already been contacted telling them to isolate and be tested.
The premier has also urged people to refrain from travelling to Queensland.
“Everyone in NSW is in a cautious position — we are not shutting down our border,” she said.
“We recommend people who were considering going to greater Brisbane, to change your plans.”
It comes as a third NSW venue has become involved in Queensland’s growing coronavirus cluster.
Three Blue Ducks, in Byron Bay, said they will be closed after a diner tested positive for COVID-19.
“Unfortunately Three Blue Ducks Byron Bay is closed today (Monday) until further notice. We have been informed guests that dined for breakfast yesterday have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours,” it said in a statement.
“We are working with NSW Health to take all the necessary precautions as they undergo contact tracing. Our venue is undergoing a deep clean.
“We wish everyone well and hope to be open again to see you soon.”
TWO BYRON TOURIST VENUES ON ALERT OVER TWO NEW COVID CASES
Brisbane will enter a snap three-day lockdown after four new local COVID cases were detected while officials have revealed two infected people travelled to Byron Bay.
NSW Health officials confirmed the cases this morning and issued alerts for the following two tourist venues:
– Byron Beach Hotel, 1 Bay St, Byron Bay on Friday March 26 between 7.15pm-8.30pm
– The Farm Byron Bay, 11 Ewingsdale Rd, Ewingsdale on Sunday March 18 between 8am-9.30am.
Anyone who attended the two locations must get tested immediately and self-isolate.
Two new testing clinics are being set up in Byron Bay.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the shutdown this morning and said it would affect greater Brisbane including Brisbane, Logan, Moreton Bay, Ipswich and Redlands from 5pm.
Masks are also now compulsory indoors and on public transport while gatherings will be limited to 30 people.
Ms Palaszczuk urged other state leaders to declare Brisbane a hot spot.
“My recommendation to other states and territories is that they should declare this greater Brisbane a hot spot as well. That worked very well when we did that last time,” she said.
“Once we declare it we are asking other people around the country to do that same thing and declare it as well.”
The virus circulating Brisbane is the highly infectious UK strain.
“We‘ve seen what’s happened in other countries. I don’t want to see that happen to Queensland. I don’t want to see that happen to Australia. I know in is a really big call. I know it is really tough,” Premier Palaszczuk said.
“We have Easter coming up, we have school holidays coming up but let‘s do it now and let’s do it right and let’s see if we can come through it at the other end.”
Schools will close from Tuesday to help contact tracing.
People will only be allowed to leave home for four essential purposes: for food, for exercise, essential work and medical reasons.
Residents can have up to two visitors to their home and can go out and exercise in a family group or if they’re solo, with one other person from a different family group.
NSW Health on Monday advised people to avoid any “non-essential” travel to Greater Brisbane.
Anyone in the Byron Bay area is being urged to get tested for COVID-19 if they have “even the mildest symptoms” of coronavirus, a NSW Health statement said.
NSW recorded no new locally acquired COVID cases were recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday.
Authorities are working to contact more than 20,000 people who have entered the state from Queensland, with nine close contacts of confirmed Brisbane COVID cases already detected here.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Kerry Chant said the community needs to remain on high alert despite the easing of restrictions from today.
“We’re also contacting about 20,000 people who arrived on flights from Brisbane between March 20 and 26th through SMS and email,” she told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.
“Please be vigilant in particular when looking for signs or symptoms. Check the Queensland Health website regularly as the situation is rapidly evolving.
“As I have said it (the virus) can be unpredictable and it is important that people immediately follow what is advised from Queensland.’
Dr Chant added it will be important to follow the health advice during school holidays – which begin on Friday.
“The main message for individuals is that we are not out of COVID. We are rolling out the vaccine but we have a long way to go. It is important that we practice those same COVID practices that I have outlined – get tested if you have the most minimum symptoms and please continue to check-in,” she said.
NSW has not shut down its borders to the neighbouring state, but health authorities have asked anyone entering Sydney to complete a passenger declaration form if they have been to the Brisbane City Council or Moreton Bay Regional Council areas since March 11.
They have also been asked to avoid non-essential visits to hospitals, aged care and disability centres in NSW and those who attended a high-risk venue have been told to stay away.
Meanwhile, Queensland health officials were yesterday forced into an embarrassing backtrack after incorrectly claiming a Brisbane man who tested positive for COVID-19 had hosted 25 people at his home for a party while waiting for test results.
The potential superspreader event sent panicked health workers scrambling to contact trace the “party” on Saturday evening, after the man was confirmed to have the virus.
Queensland police said the reports of a large gathering were inaccurate, confirming there were only five people at the home, including mostly residents.
Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath defended the mistake, claiming health officials were told by the man there were 25 people at his home.
“Whether it was a misunderstanding at the time or what it was, I cannot tell you,” she said.
“What we’ve identified through the investigation and what police have found and Health have found is thankfully, it was not 25 people.”
Originally published as COVID NSW: Byron Bay on alert over four new Queensland cases
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