Coronavirus Qld: Latest case numbers revealed

Queensland is set to slam its borders shut to South Australia while parts of the state’s southeast and far north have been put on high alert over fears a woman infected with the Delta Covid-19 variant was out in the community.

Queensland is poised to slam its borders shut to South Australia, which goes into a seven-day Covid-19 lockdown from 6pm tonight.

The border will shut to South Australia from 1am Thursday.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said Queensland residents would be required to go into 14 days mandatory hotel quarantine from then.

“As an additional precaution, I’m requiring those entering Queensland from South Australia before 1am Thursday to immediately get tested and quarantine at home if they have been to any exposure venue in South Australia,” Dr Young said.

“We will continue to monitor the situation in South Australia, NSW and Victoria, and act accordingly, in line with the risk level and their own local restrictions.”

The South Australian lockdown was triggered after tests confirmed the state’s latest outbreak of the Covid-19 virus was the Delta variant.

South Australian health authorities have so far identified five cases linked to the cluster.

The border closure to South Australia comes as after parts of southeast and Far North Queensland were put on alert as a new locally acquired case of Covid-19 was recorded in a woman who travelled to the state from Melbourne.

Queensland has recorded three new cases of the Covid-19 virus, including the one locally acquired case. The other two were acquired overseas and detected in hotel quarantine.

Acting Premier Steven Miles said the case, a woman, was unrelated to any of the existing clusters in Queensland.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the woman in her 20s who lives in Mareeba and came home for the holiday break.

Dr Young said she suspected the new locally acquired case would have the Delta variant, which was circulating in Victoria.

T Rice Boi at The Wharf Mooloolaba. Pic Mark Cranitch.

The woman travelled from Melbourne to Maroochydore on Tuesday July 13.

On Thursday, July 15 she received an SMS from Victoria Health advising she had attended a ‘Tier 1’ exposure site, on July 10, at the Young and Jackson Pub.

She went and got tested that day and tested negative.

That afternoon, she then visited a friend at Maroochydore, went to the Universal Store at Sunshine Coast Plaza between 3.55pm and 4.15pm.

That night, she visited Rice Boi at Mooloolaba Wharf – a very popular restaurant which has authorities particularly concerned because the woman spent a significant period of time at the Rice Boi Restaurant on the Sunshine Coast.

Dr Young said people who had been to the Rice Boi Restaurant at the same time as the woman should come forward and get tested.

On Friday, July 16, she took an Uber to Maroochydore bus station, then caught a bus and the Airtrain to Brisbane Airport.

The woman flew to Cairns on July 16. PICTURE: BRENDAN RADKE

She then flew to Cairns on Virgin flight VA791.

Dr Young said the woman started developing symptoms of Covid-19 on July 17.

The woman went to the Atherton fever clinic and was tested on July 18.

She returned a positive Covid test late last night, Monday July 19.

Dr Young said everyone on the Virgin flight the woman took to Cairns would be contacted.

Dr Young said the woman was fully vaccinated, which reduced her risk to others, but did not eliminate the risk.

Universal Store the opening of the Sunshine Plaza at the Sunshine Coast today.

Mr Miles stressed that anyone who has been to Victoria, NSW and South Australia should look out for the relevant Covid exposure sites in those states.

Dr Young said the case was not linked to any of the other active clusters in Queensland.

She said the woman, who is in her 20s, lived in Mareeba and studies in Victoria.

Rice Boi on the Sunshine Coast is on high alert after she dined there while infectious.

The Acting Premier of Queensland Steven Miles. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

He said in every one of the last five days, NSW had recorded more new Covid-19 cases than Queensland had recorded during the peak of the pandemic last year.

“It’s absolutely tragic to hear of another death in NSW,” Mr Miles said.

“The message to Queenslanders is now is not the time to holiday in another state.

“If you are currently in those states now would be a good time, if you can, to please come home.”

Dr Young said while there were so many cases occurring throughout the country, it was really important that everyone in Queensland followed the mask requirements.

“Check-in everywhere,” she said.

Dr Young said Queenslanders should reconsider their need to travel to South Australia given new restrictions in that state.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said any Queensland residents in South Australia should “consider coming home sooner rather than later”.

She urged people to holiday in Queensland at the moment and to avoid travel outside the state.

Ms D’Ath said the latest death in NSW was a stark reminder of the danger posed by Covid-19.

“We now have transmission from that NSW cluster in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland,” she said.

“We remind everyone to follow the rules, not be complacent. If you have been travelling interstate please constantly check the exposure list sites.

“If you have been on the Sunshine Coast, please check the sites that we are putting up today.”

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Ms D’Ath said the latest locally acquired case had worn a mask when she was travelling.

“We hope this has significantly reduced the risk but we can’t be complacent,” she said.

Police have turned around 14 vehicles at the border at the past 24 hours, while several people were refused entry at the state’s airports.

It comes as more than 200,000 Queenslanders remain on a waiting list to receive the Pfizer jab but still can’t make a booking, as one million doses of the sought-after vaccine touched down in Australia.

Originally published as Coronavirus Qld: Latest case numbers revealed