Quarantine hotel cleaner confirmed to have contracted UK virus strain

Genomic testing has confirmed a casual cleaner at a Brisbane hotel quarantine site was infected with a more contagious strain of COVID-19 originating from the United Kingdom, as authorities rush to trace her movements across the city.

Visits to hospitals, aged care, disability and correctional facilities across the city have been restricted after the cleaner, a woman in her 20s who worked a shift at the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Brisbane's CBD while unknowingly infectious, became the first locally acquired case of COVID-19 in 113 days.

The woman is believed to have been infected at the Hotel Grand Chancellor.Credit: Matt Dennien

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has also called for a boost to federal hotel quarantine help in the wake of the case, with one person describing strict protocols among staff at the hotel — where genomic testing had detected the UK strain among four guests who had been previously diagnosed.

Addressing the media on Thursday morning, where she also announced a child in hotel quarantine had also been confirmed with the virus overnight, Ms Palaszczuk flagged the issue of federal assistance ahead of Friday's national cabinet meeting.

"We do have the [Australian Defence Force] … supporting when the planes come in, but maybe we do need to increase that co-operation so I will be raising that," she said.

"It is about international travellers coming home to Australia so I think there needs to be even more co-operation and I thank the federal government for the co-operation have shown us to date."

A total of 15,509 tests were conducted across Queensland in the 24 hours to Thursday morning. Twenty cases of COVID-19 are now considered active.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young had confirmed four cases were previously detected in hotel quarantine at the Grand Chancellor, with one of them "definitely" a UK strain, and announced new restrictions after the confirmation on Thursday night.

"Evidence shows that this variant is 70 per cent more infectious than other strains," Dr Young said in a statement. "This is why I'm taking this firm action swiftly, to protect our most vulnerable facilities."

Aged care centres, hospitals, disability accommodation sites, prisons and youth detention sites within the Metro North, South and West Moreton health service regions are now off limits for visitors until further notice.

Earlier, Ms Palaszczuk said the cleaner, who lives in Algester, had "done everything right" by coming forward when she developed symptoms on Wednesday after returning a negative test during a routine weekly swab on December 29 — set to become daily for workers within quarantine hotels in the state from Monday.

She is believed to have been infectious from January 2, with Dr Young saying she worked only one shift while infectious, on that day, and had travelled to work by train.

Public health alerts have been issued by Queensland Health for travellers on the services to and from the city and Altandi station. Initial contact tracing has led to public health alerts for the woman's train journey and visits to supermarkets and a newsagent in Sunnybank Hills and Calamvale.

While residents of both suburbs, along with Algester, have been urged to monitor for symptoms and get tested if any develop, Dr Young said it was "critical" for people across the entire city to follow such advice. A fever clinic at the Eight Mile Plains Community Health Centre will remain open throughout the night.

Geoff Crooks, who has been in quarantine at the Grand Chancellor with his wife since arriving from the United States on December 30, said the only real contact they have had with another person since had been during a COVID-19 test.

"At no time does anybody come into your room at all," he said, adding they were required to wait 15 seconds before opening the door to collect any meals or items dropped off. "Whenever I've opened my door and seen one [staff member] walk past they have always been wearing their gloves and gowns."

Mr Crooks said his daughters had on two occasions delivered items for them and walked into the ground floor reception both times, with one now considering getting tested.

A sign at the entrance on Thursday stated as the site was quarantine hotel, the lobby was closed. A number of police officers were posted around the ground floor, with one seen to direct a woman and child who walked through the doors back outside.

The hotel features a restaurant along with function and conference rooms. A sign pointing people to the latter was also in place at the entrance on Thursday, with a number of recent references to such services across the hotel's social media.

Neither the hotel or Queensland Health responded to questions about whether non-quarantine guests or other functions had still been accepted.

While recent arrivals to the state from some regional NSW towns and Victoria have been asked to self-quarantine until cleared of the virus, no further expansion of travel restrictions has been put in place. However, the January 8 date for a review of the greater Sydney hotspot has been pushed to the end of the month.

Asked whether flights should be banned from the UK, Dr Young said it had now spread throughout the world. "So it wouldn't be an issue of just stopping flights from the UK," she said.

With Felicity Caldwell

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