Queensland records new community transmitted Covid-19 case, ‘mystery’ source traced

Authorities say a man was out and about for a week while infected, and have issued warnings on a range of venues.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Brisbane will escape a lockdown - for now - despite a mystery case of COVID-19 being detected in the community.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said there was no need for a broader lockdown yet, but visitors would be banned from hospitals, aged care centres, disability services facilities, and prisons in Brisbane and Moreton Bay until the threat had passed.

Queensland has recorded one new case of COVID-19 community transmission overnight, a 26-year-old man.

The source of the case is a mystery, health authorities say.

Chief health officer Jeannette Young said it is not known how the man, a landscaper from Stafford, caught the virus in the community.

He’s now in the Royal Brisbane Hospital, after testing positive last night, and genomic testing is underway. Dr Young said he had tested positive twice.

“This gentleman developed symptoms on Monday, he became reasonably unwell, and stayed home,” Dr Young said.

Queensland’s chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young. Picture NCA NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

She said it was “too early” to say where he had caught the virus, and had to wait for the results of the genomic sequencing.

Dr Young said the situation was concerning, because he was a young man and had been out and about in the community for a week.

“Of course it’s concerning, that’s why we’re here this morning ... letting the community know ... it’s so important that if you have any symptoms at all, come forward and get tested,” she said.

Stafford Bunnings.

Dr Young said there was a chance this case was linked to the outbreak two weeks ago, that involved the PA Hospital doctor and two cases in hotel quarantine.

She said she was hopeful there would not need to be more restrictions as a result of this case.

“I would hope we don’t need to have more restrictions, but it just depends what unfolds over the next 24-48 hours,” she said.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said there was no need for alarm.

Ms Palaszczuk said the man had been to areas over the weekend including:

• Carindale Shopping Centre;

• Bunnings at Stafford;

• The fresh food market stall at Gasworks, Newstead;

• Mamma’s Italian Restaurant at Redcliffe;

• The Guzman y Gomez drive-through at Stafford;

• Aldi at Stafford;

• Locations in Fortitude Valley;

Carindale shopping centre. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

Visitors banned from hospitals, care centres

Ms Palaszczuk said visitors would be banned from aged care, hospitals, prison and disability services in the Brisbane City and Moreton council areas, and told people in Brisbane to wear a mask if they were in crowded areas.

“This is no need for alarm,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

The state has had very few cases of community transmission this year.

Earlier this month, a doctor from the Princess Alexandra hospital was diagnosed with COVID-19 after contact with a patient, and it sparked an eight-day response in greater Brisbane that involved banning visitors from hospitals and aged care centres.