Coronavirus Australia: Genomic testing links Queensland outbreak to teen trio who hid Melbourne trip
Health authorities confirm the strain in the state’s latest outbreak was found in one of three women who returned from Melbourne.
Queensland health authorities have confirmed the strain of COVID-19 in the state’s latest outbreak is the same as one of the three Logan women who returned from Melbourne last month.
Two of the women tested positive for the virus after they allegedly falsified their border declarations to hide that they had been to Victoria.
Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles said genomic testing of the virus had shown that the strain that one of the women had – B1125 – was the same as the strain affecting 10 people linked to the Wacol Youth Detention Centre.
Five staff members and five of their family members have tested positive to the virus and tests have been carried out on the centre’s detainees.
Mr Miles said further tests over the next two days would determine for certain whether the outbreak had stemmed from the Logan women.
“Early results indicate the first case had the same strain of COVID-19 as one of the women who travelled to Melbourne as well as the diners who contracted it from them,” Mr Miles said.
The transmission link between the women and the diners who contracted it after eating at the same restaurant as one of them, and the detention centre staff, has yet to be found.
Dozens of cafes, shops and restaurants have been marked on a list of places visited by the ten people with the virus.
The outbreak has prompted renewed restrictions limiting public gatherings and for health officials to urge people to get tested for the virus.
There have been long queues at testing centres across Brisbane, prompting the government to open new fever clinics.
The state has recorded no new cases of the virus overnight, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.
The large number of tests has increased the turnaround time for results to about 30 hours.
Health officials will be stationed at Townsville airport to identify anyone flying into the city with symptoms of the virus ahead of the Jeff Horn fight against Tim Tszyu on Wednesday.
Ms Palaszczuk confirmed the government would have “preliminary discussions” today with the AFL about moving the grand final to Queensland.
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