Coronavirus: race to trace the detention cluster

Health authorities are racing to track down dozens of former inmates released from a Brisbane Youth Detention Centre linked to COVID-19 cluster.

Brisbane authorities are trying to track down former inmates released from a Brisbane Youth Detention Centre at Wacol. Picture: NCA NewWire / Dan Peled

Health authorities are racing to track down dozens of former inmates released from a Brisbane Youth Detention Centre linked to the outbreak of a new COVID-19 cluster, which triggered a return to social restrictions in the southeast of the state at the weekend.

Contact tracers have been ­deployed to find the youths, released from the facility at Wacol, southwest Brisbane, in the past five weeks after nine people — most of whom are among the ­detention centre’s staff — tested positive for the virus.

The cluster, first discovered on Thursday with a 77-year-old ­female supervisor at the centre, has sparked fears of possible widespread transmission of the virus across Brisbane and the satellite cities of Ipswich and Logan.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young. Picture: NCA NewWire / Dan Peled

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk ordered an immediate ban on gatherings of more than 10 people and locked down the aged-care facilities in the region.

Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said none of the detainees had yet tested positive but she was very concerned by the former inmates who had been released out into the community.

“I’m actually more concerned about the children who have left the centre,” Dr Young said.

“We don’t have any expansion of that cluster, which is good news, but it is far, far too early for us to relax.

“For the next week, it is just so critical that if anyone is unwell they immediately get themselves tested so that we can confine this new cluster as much as we possibly can.

“Police have done a brilliant job over the past 24 hours going out across the state to find any of the youths who have been discharged from that facility since the 22nd of July.”

Of the 500-odd staff at the youth detention centre, 202 have recorded negative results so far, while more than 100 of the young people were also confirmed to be free of the virus.

Ms Palaszczuk would not comment specifically on whether the outbreak would damage Queensland’s hopes of securing the AFL grand final in Brisbane if it is cancelled in Melbourne.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at a press conference on Thursday. Picture: NCA NewWire / Dan Peled

“I think what everybody knows is that we have world-class management systems and we also have dedicated contact tracers, and as you can see we are throwing everything we can at this, as we do every time we have a cluster,’’ she said.

“I am not commenting on that. The AFL has not made any decision to date and we will wait for those decisions by the AFL.’’

Dr Young said nine people connected to the facility had tested positive for the virus in the past two days, including a baby boy and two men who also work at a local school and disability home.

Queensland has 16 active cases, with five in hospital but none in intensive care.

Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said about half of the 86 former inmates who had been released since July 22 had been located and tested. The rest are expected to be found and tested within the next 24 hours.

Monday’s cabinet meeting in Cairns was delayed to next week.