Queensland has launched an investigation into hospital worker vaccine bungle

Queensland authorities launch an ‘immediate’ investigation into why a hospital worker at the centre of the latest outbreak was unvaccinated.

Annastacia Palaszczuk has apologised for a virus containment breach which triggered her state’s latest lockdown. A lapse in state inoculation protocols allowed an unvaccinated 19-year-old casual worker to man a reception desk outside a Covid isolation ward at Brisbane’s Prince Charles Hospital.

“I am more than happy to apologise, nobody wants to see this happen,” Ms Palaszczuk said after a defensive and blame-shifting press conference on Wednesday.

Dr Paul Griffin will lead the investigation into why the woman was not deployed to another part of the hospital given she was unvaccinated.

Heath Minister Yvette D’Ath said she had met with unions and doctors this week to discuss making vaccination mandatory for more hospital workers.

The 19-year-old receptionist at the Prince Charles Hospital was infected by a returned traveller quarantining at the facility.

She then visited North Queensland and number of retail sites across Brisbane, sparking a major alert and plunging millions into lockdown.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath revealed on Thursday the investigation would be led by Dr Griffin, the director of infectious disease at Mater Health.

“He will specifically be looking at how it came to be she was working there unvaccinated,” she said.

“In doing that, he will also be looking at the systems that are in place at that hospital to determine who is a worker that must be vaccinated to work in those areas, and who deems that area as being a mandatory vaccination area or not.

“Obviously, that work will start immediately, looking at the systems and processes for this decision-making.”

Authorities are waiting on the result of thousands of tests from across the state. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

The announcement comes as the state recorded two new locally acquired Covid-19 cases on Thursday — one new case is linked to the Portuguese restaurant cluster and the other worked at the Brisbane Airport and visited a number of sites while infectious.

Two new cases were also recorded in returned travellers in hotel quarantine.

Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young described the limited number of new infections as “encouraging news” as a decision on lifting or extending the looms in the coming 24 hours.

“The new case today has probably acquired it in our international airport,” she told reporters on Thursday.

“She works at the check in counter the Qatar Airlines which means she would be checking in, not only the passengers, but she would be involved with the crew. We do know that international flight crew our high risk.”

A decision will be made on the lockdown in the next 24 hours. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Ms Palaszczuk plunged parts of the state in lockdown from Tuesday evening, with southeast Queensland, Townsville, Palm Island and Magnetic Island all directed to stay home.

The 11 southeast Queensland local government areas affected by the stay-at-home orders are Noosa, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Logan, Redlands, Moreton Bay, Brisbane, Gold Coast, the Scenic Rim, Lockyer Valley and Somerset.

The four approved reasons to leave home during the lockdown include:

• To buy essentials such as groceries or medications
• Work or study if you can’t do either from home
• Exercise in your local area
• Healthcare or to provide help, care or support

Queensland was the fourth jurisdiction to be plunged into lockdown this week following similar directives in Western Australia, Northern Territory and NSW.

Access to the full list of exposure sites is available here.