Consular official travels with virus on domestic flight

Queensland health authorities are tracing the passengers of a Jetstar flight to the Sunshine Coast after a consular official has tested positive for COVID-19.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young at a Press conference on Sunday.. Picture: John Gass

Queensland health authorities were on Sunday tracing passengers of a Jetstar flight from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast after a consular official returning from overseas who travelled on the plane later tested positive to COVID-19.

Usually, travellers returning to Australia are required to ­undergo a two-week hotel quarantine at their point of entry, but the man, in his 20s, was granted permission to fly straight to Maroochydore from Sydney on Jetstar Flight JQ790 on Friday under a national concession for consulate staff, Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said.

He is at his home for the mandatory two-week quarantine period and was the state’s only recorded new case of the virus in the 24 hours to Sunday morning.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk addresses media at Fort road, Seventeen Mile Rocks on Sunday. Picture: John Gass

“There are a very small number of exemptions agreed nationally,” Dr Young said. “One of those extensions is for consular staff allowed to on-travel to their home and quarantine (there).

“He did everything he should have done and was allowed to do.

“It does mean we need to ­contact-trace everyone who was on the flight with him.”

Dr Young said the next week would be crucial to determining whether a second wave of COVID-19 took hold in the state.

Motivated by the high-risk situation, the state government has introduced strict visitation restrictions on aged-care facilities in southeast Queensland to prevent similar outbreaks in other states.

“The next week will really be telling,” Dr Young said. “The next week, we have to be absolutely cautious.”

The warning came after health authorities on Sunday breathed a sigh of relief after more than 100 coronavirus tests at an aged-care home in Brisbane’s southwest came back negative.

A staff member at the Bolton Clarke aged-care facility in Pinjarra Hills was infected with the virus while dining at a restaurant at the same time as a woman who returned to Brisbane from Melbourne on July 21 and allegedly falsified travel records. It prompted widespread testing of staff and patients at the facility.

Of the 105 residents, 104 tested negative for the virus; one resident could not be tested but will be monitored for symptoms. No further staff at the aged-care home have returned positive tests, but not all 150 staff have been tested yet.

Premier Annastacia Palas­zczuk said a second wave of the virus could cost the state’s economy $4bn and following social distancing advice and abiding by health directives was paramount.