Coronavirus Qld: New case details on first day after lockdown lifted

New details surrounding the infected partner of the hotel cleaner who contracted the highly contagious UK COVID-19 strain have been revealed, as the state recorded three new cases overnight.

Queensland has recorded three new cases of COVID-19, which includes the partner of the hotel cleaner who contracted the highly infectious UK strain of COVID-19 while working at a quarantine hotel

Authorities fear he was infectious in the community for two days.

The further two cases are a father and a daughter who travelled from Lebanon and tested positive on Day 10 of hotel quarantine.

In Queensland’s second case of community transmission, the partner of the cleaner, whose COVID-19 infection sparked greater Brisbane’s three day lockdown, also tested positive to the virus last night.

He was tested on the morning of January 7 and returned a negative result but later that day, he developed mild symptoms and subsequently returned a positive result.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said it was feared he was infectious for the two days prior and put potential exposure alerts out for two sites.

The sites are:

- January 5: Bunnings at Acacia Ridge

- January 6: Sunnybank Cellars from 2.05pm to 2.15pm.

Tuesday, 12 January – coronavirus cases in Queensland:

• 1 new locally acquired case
• 2 overseas acquired cases
• 28 active cases
• 1,281 total cases
• 1,621,595 tests conducted

Sadly, six Queenslanders with COVID-19 have died. 1,243 patients have recovered.#covid19 pic.twitter.com/NaB4JNpy4O

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) January 11, 2021

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said there were now 28 active cases, with 13480 tests being undertaken in the past 24 hours.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said more than 79,000 tests for the pandemic virus had been performed in the past five days.

Ms D’Ath said she wanted to see high rates of testing for the virus continue in Queensland to ensure cases in the community were identified.

She warned against complacency, saying the UK had recorded 30,000 deaths in 30 days.

Police have handed out 1937 masks since last week and have issued 22 infringement notices.

Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said if people didn’t comply with directions, there were strict penalties that apply.

Mr Gollschewski said the investigation into how the cleaner developed the highly infectious UK variant of the pandemic virus while working in hotel quarantine was underway.

As of today, Victorians who visit Queensland are only required to get tested if they have symptoms.

Earlier on Tuesday the Premier told media she was confident the decision to put Greater Brisbane into a three-day lockdown was the right one.

The Premier on Monday announced the surprise three-day lockdown was over after no new COVID-19 cases were detected in the community over the weekend following a massive 18,904 tests on Sunday.

But just hours after the announcement, the partner of the COVID-positive hotel quarantine worker who’d caught the highly infectious UK strain of the virus, triggering the lockdown, also contracted the virus.

Federal Senator Matt Canavan labelled the lockdown “a massive over-reaction”, saying the government was “jumping at shadows” at a great cost to local businesses, but Ms Palaszczuk defended the stance.

“It was quick, decisive action that was the advice from Doctor (Jeannette) Young, but also endorsed by the AHPPC and also endorsed by the National Cabinet,” she said.

“It’s a very clear signal about how we can all co-operate together.

“Greater Brisbane responded so well to that three-day lockdown, I’m so proud of every single family that did what the Chief Health Officer asked them to do.”

Ms Palaszczuk said she was happy with the state’s contact tracing program relating to he highly infectious UK strain.

“Everything is going to plan at the moment,” she said.

“Three days gave our contact tracers that really valuable time to identify those close contacts of the cleaner and put them into isolation.

“Everything is looking good today, but we will get more updates this morning at 9 o’clock.”

New temporary restrictions were unveiled yesterday for Greater Brisbane as the region was lifted out of lockdown, with mask-wearing to still be mandatory indoors and patron numbers slashed until 1am on January 22.

Under the new rules, carrying a mask will be mandatory at all times when outside the home and they will need to be worn in a range of indoor settings, including public transport, shopping centres, supermarkets and gyms. They will not need to be worn while at home, while in a private vehicle or when someone is outdoors and they are a safe distance from others – such as walking the dog or exercising.

Ms Palaszczuk insisted the lockdown was not an over-reaction, pointing to the support from National Cabinet and the AHPPC, as she described the UK virus variant as a “whole new ball game”.

“This has been something unprecedented, a world first and an Australian first,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

There were four new cases of COVID-19 detected in hotel quarantine in Queensland on Monday.

LATEST RESTRICTIONS AND HEALTH ALERTS

Until 1am, Friday January 22:

MASKS

Must be worn in indoor places, including shopping centres and supermarkets, gyms, workplaces where people cannot socially distance and where it is safe to do so, places of worship, libraries, public transport, taxis and ride share vehicles.

Must be carried at all times.

Are not required to be worn when outdoors at a safe distance from other people (for example, walking a dog), in private vehicles or doing

strenuous exercise.

BUSINESSES AND VENUES

Indoors: 1 person
per 4sq m

Outdoors:
1 person per 2sq m

Seated eating and drinking only

Smaller venues up to 200sq m: 1 person per 2sq m up to a maximum of 50

No dancing except

for weddings

GATHERINGS

Up to 20 in homes and public spaces

Weddings: Up to 100. No restrictions on dancing

Funerals: Up to 100

Indoor concert venues or theatres: 50% capacity, or 1 person per 4sq m – whichever is greater

Outdoor stadiums: 50% capacity with COVIDSafe plans

Restrictions on visits to hospitals, aged care, disability accommodation and prisons remain.

QUEENSLAND HEALTH ALERTS FOR TESTING:

SOUTHSIDE BRISBANE (RELATED TO CLEANER AND PARTNER)

Two sites were added to the contact tracing list after the quarantine hotel cleaner’s partner tested positive on Monday.

Anyone who visited Bunnings Warehouse in Acacia Ridge from 2pm to 2:40pm on Tuesday, January 5, and Sunnybank Cellars in Sunnybank Hills from 2:05pm to 2:15pm on Wednesday, January 6, has been urged to get tested and quarantine at home for 14 days regardless of the outcome.

An urgent public health alert was issued late on Saturday evening, ordering anyone who had visited Coles at Sunnybank Hills Shoppingtown on January 5, 7.30am-8am, or Woolworths Calamvale North on January 3, 11am-noon to get tested and quarantine for 14 days, regardless of the test result.

The Public Health Unit confirmed anyone who attended these venues at these times was now considered to be a close contact with a Brisbane quarantine hotel cleaner who tested positive to the UK variant.

The Nextra newsagency at Sunnybank Hills was also added to this list of “critical importance”.

Authorities have also asked anybody on the Altandi to Roma St Station train at 7am on January 2 and Central to Altandi train at 4pm on January 2 to get tested.

MALENY (RELATED TO PASSENGER FROM MELBOURNE)

Health alerts have been issued for three venues in Maleny after a woman flew from Melbourne to Brisbane and then drove to the Sunshine Coast hinterland town on January 5. The woman also had the UK mutant strain of COVID-19 and had been in quarantine in Melbourne for 10 days before being allowed to fly but has since tested positive for the virus. At the time 10 days was the required quarantine period and no exit test was required.

Dr Young said the risk was “extremely low” but said Queensland Health wanted to be cautious.

Queensland Health has urged anyone who visited the Cappriccios Italian Pizza Restaurant on January 6, between 6.30pm and 7pm, to get tested.

They have also issued the same advice for those who visited Purple Palate Cellars between 4.15pm and 4.25pm on January 7 as well as the Maleny Woolworths supermarket on the same day between 4.30pm and 4.50pm.

Anyone in the Maleny area with any symptoms has also been urged to come forward for testing.

Dr Young said health authorities wanted to test passengers on Jetstar flight JQ570 but she said Queensland Health had already contacted all passengers.

Originally published as Coronavirus Qld: New case details on first day after lockdown lifted