QLD tourism destinations could be hiding active COVID-19 cases
Undetected active COVID-19 from the NSW cluster could be spreading throughout QLD tourism destinations, authorities warn.
Queensland health authorities have warned there could be undetected active COVID-19 from the NSW cluster spreading through the state’s tourism destinations, as the nation slams shut its borders to greater Sydney.
There are 15 close contacts of the Sydney northern beaches cluster who have already been identified in Queensland, and coronavirus sewage testing has detected the virus in the Gold Coast, Townsville, north Cairns and Cleveland, south of Brisbane.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk shut Queensland’s border to NSW residents in greater Sydney from 1am on Monday, giving Queenslanders in the region an extra 24 hours until 1am Tuesday to rush home or be forced into mandatory hotel quarantine.
“These border measures are necessary … I’m not going to allow anything to destroy our tremendous effort,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
She said if the NSW situation continued to escalate, there should be a national cabinet meeting called this week, because the public health emergency was of “national significance”.
Once the new restrictions are in place, very few non-Queenslanders will be granted an exemption to enter the state’s hotel quarantine system from NSW, and only for compassionate reasons or essential work.
Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said she was “very concerned” about the four parts of Queensland with positive sewage results, all in popular tourism destinations. The tests are not conducted in Brisbane, because that’s where the state’s hotel quarantine facilities are and would automatically return positive tests.
“I’m concerned that there are people from Sydney, or the northern beaches, who have gone up to those areas in the north, or down to the Gold Coast, and I need them to come forward and get tested,” Dr Young said.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews also slammed shut the door to Sydney and took a shot at the NSW government for failing to impose mandatory masks and stay-at-home orders.
Mr Andrews issued a stern warning to any greater Sydney residents thinking of ignoring the guidelines.
“If you are in Sydney, stay in Sydney. If you are in Melbourne, do not go to Sydney because when you return you will be in 14 days of hotel quarantine, putting stress and strain on our system,” he said.
From 11.59pm Sunday, the greater Sydney and central coast areas were declared red zones which means people who live in those areas or have visited since December 11 cannot enter Victoria.
Anyone who tries to enter will face 14-day mandatory hotel quarantine.
Victorians who had recently visited or were in greater Sydney and the central coast were given until 11.59pm on Monday to return home and self-quarantine.
Anyone in the hot zone in the northern beaches area of Sydney would not be permitted back into the state for an undisclosed period.
Mr Andrews also slammed shut the border with NSW, deploying 700 police to establish checkpoints.
“Based on the most up-to-date information available, the current outbreak in NSW is linked to a returned traveller in that state’s hotel quarantine program. However, concerningly, there remain missing links in the chains of transmission and case numbers and exposure sites continue to grow,” he said.
“Without mandatory mask rules and stay-at-home orders across Sydney, our government and state’s health authorities do not have confidence that the situation remains safe.”
Mr Andrews threatened fines against anyone who breached the quarantine requirements or tried to illegally enter the country.
“Anyone found to have entered Victoria without a valid permit or exemption, may be subject to penalties in excess of $1652 and if you intentionally provide false information on your permit application, you may be issued a fine of $1652 or face a penalty of up to $9913,” he said.
The border shutdown will have a huge impact on Christmas for tens of thousands of people but matches Mr Andrews’s long-term commitment to hard-line decision-making on the virus.
The Northern Territory and South Australia also introduced tougher border measures on Sunday for people who have been in greater Sydney recently.
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