Queensland breathes sigh of relief over new COVID case

Queensland recorded one new local Covid-19 case on Sunday, with officials ruling out that the woman contracted the contagious Delta variant.

Queensland has recorded one new locally acquired Covid-19 case on Sunday with health officials breathing a sigh of relief after it was ruled out that the patient had contracted the contagious Delta variant.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the new local case at a press conference on Sunday morning but said Queenslanders should “not be alarmed”.

“At this stage the woman was only out in the community for a short period of time,” she said.

“She had just finished her 14 days of hotel quarantine and tested positive after she left quarantine.”

Ms Palaszczuk said there were some areas of “concern” as the woman, who was a flight crew member aged in her 30s, attended a DFO at Brisbane Airport and the Portuguese Family Centre in Ellen Grove.

Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said it was feared the woman had the highly contagious Delta variant as she had contact with a positive case on a flight who had that variant.

However on Sunday evening genome sequencing results confirmed she had not contacted the Delta variant.

“Queensland Health is continuing investigations into the exact variant, and the source of the case,” Queensland Health said in a statement.

Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said it was feared the woman had the Delta variant. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Dr Young said the woman left hotel quarantine at 9am on Saturday and travelled by private shuttle bus with other flight crew members to the Hamilton Apartments.

She then left the hotel at 4pm and went shopping at the airport DFO until 4.30pm.

“It’s too early to get tested because they would have been exposed between 4pm and 4:30pm, less than 24 hours (ago), so you won’t be positive at this stage but they may turn positive over the next 14 days,” Dr Young said.

A health worker performs a Covid-19 test at a drive-through station in Brisbane earlier this month. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Those who were also at the DFO during those times needs to ring 13 Health or go online to identify themselves so they can be contacted by Queensland Health.

Dr Young said health officials were still working through CCTV footage to work out the exact shops the woman visited.

She said the woman was also outside in the city from 5pm to 6pm and travelled by a private car to the Portuguese Family Centre from 7pm until 7.50pm.

“Anyone there during that time needs to immediately isolate and will be contacted,” Dr Young said.

“We got the positive result at 7.50pm and then started contact tracing all the people we know this lady has come in contact with.”

Dr Young said the woman tested negative on days zero, five and 12 in hotel quarantine before turning positive from her day 14 test.

“I am very concerned and that is why I ask everyone who has been to the DFO from 4pm to 4.30pm (on Saturday) to immediately isolate themselves and for people who have been in the city, although she does not believe she went into any stores in the city … anyone in the city to be alert to symptoms,” she said.

Ms Palaszczuk said if they were able to get the one community case under control over the next two days the government would be in a position to ease restrictions from 1am on Friday.

She said that would be “good news” for all indoor values across Queensland, such as restaurants, cafes and bars.

“There will be no limits on gathering at people’s homes, no limits in outdoor places … there’ll be no restrictions in aged care, disability services and hospitals,” she said.

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