Covid-19 case numbers expected to rise as authorities contact trace growing cluster

As more than three million Queenslanders wake to the first full day of the southeast’s latest Covid-19 lockdown, authorities will reveal more cases of community transmission as Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young admits the virus could be anywhere.

Queenslanders have been warned it’s “extremely likely” more community acquired Covid cases will be detected within the community as officials rapidly contact trace the Sunshine State’s growing Delta cluster.

The Sunday Mail can reveal there will be new cases of community-transferred infections announced on Sunday.

Health officials are on the hunt for missing links to the latest coronavirus incursion into Queensland, as Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young acknowledged the virus could be “anywhere” in the southeast.

Authorities have warned to expect an “enormous” number of Covid exposure sites visited by the latest cases, with bus routes, supermarkets, chemists and a TAFE building among the new venues added to the list.

Dr Young said two hospitals had also been visited by one of the cases, but as of late yesterday, neither were listed as exposure sites.

Pedestrians in a quiet Brisbane CBD after lockdown kicked off at 4pm on Saturday. Picture: Jono Searle/Getty Images)

There were six new community acquired Covid cases announced in Queensland on Saturday – all linked to the Covid-positive Indooroopilly State High School student.

This included the girl’s family members – both parents and two siblings – as well as a medical student who tutors the 17-year-old and a staff member from Ironside State School, where one of the siblings attends.

The Sunday Mail understands the teenage girl was at a vaccination clinic with her mum, when a staff member suggested she get tested – helping to discover the cluster.

All of the new cases have tested positive to the fast-spreading Delta variant.

Dr Young said the latest cluster was linked to two cases that were detected in hotel quarantine about a month ago.

“That likely means we have carriers in the community, possibly asymptomatic and unknowingly infectious,” the Chief Health Officer said.

“So we need to ramp up testing, and try to find those one or more missing links.”

Dr Young said both of the cases from hotel quarantine had flown into Brisbane on the same flight from Singapore on June 29, after travelling there from different international locations.

One of them tested positive on day one of their hotel quarantine stay, while the second returned a positive result on day five at the same hotel – with both taken to separate hospitals for treatment before they were released.

“I think that one of those two cases has led to transmission to someone who I don’t know who has then led to further transmission,” Dr Young said.

Busy scenes at a pop-up Covid-19 testing clinic at Indooroopilly State High School on Saturday. Picture: Jono Searle/Getty Images

“And eventually, I think the most likely scenario, is this medical student has acquired it – I don’t know how.

“Then, the most likely scenario, is they have given it to the student they were tutoring, the 17-year-old … who has then given it, or possibly the medical student has given it, to the other four people in that household.”

Dr Young said it was “extremely likely” that more Covid cases would be detected in the community.

“That’s why we need to go into a lockdown and that’s why the lockdown has to be the most restrictive we’ve ever been in,” Dr Young said.

“Because this is the most infectious virus we’ve ever had.

“I don’t know today where this virus is in the southeast of Queensland – but wherever it is, I don’t want it to go further.”

Health officials were yesterday contact tracing the latest cases to determine where they had visited in the community while infectious.

Dr Young said the medical student had been to a “lot” of venues and places, including the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, the University of Queensland and the Translational Research Institute at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

“And also she has a sibling who works in a hospital,” she said.

Among the listed exposure sites late yesterday afternoon were supermarkets and a number of bus routes.

The McDonalds at Jindalee has also been listed as an exposure site for July 25, between the 6.20pm and 6.55pm.

So too has room 5015 on level five of the F Block at Southbank TAFE for July 28, between 7pm and 9pm.

Those who have visited the close contact exposure sites have been instructed to get tested immediately and to quarantine for 14 days from the time they were at the venue.

The Bunnings at Mount Gravatt has been listed as a casual contact exposure site for July 28, between 7am and 7.35am as well as on July 29 between 12.30pm and 1.05pm.

“I expect there are going to be an enormous number of exposure sites all through Brisbane and probably as well through the Sunshine Coast and further,” Dr Young said.

Originally published as Covid-19 case numbers expected to rise as authorities contact trace growing cluster