Fraser Coast mayor to self-isolate after link to Covid flight

The mayor has returned a negative result after it emerged he had been on a flight linked to an air hostess who had tested positive.

Hervey Bay Airport. Photo: Cody Fox

The Fraser Coast mayor has returned a negative COVID-19 result.

Mr Seymour had concerns about his health after it emerged he had been on the Brisbane to Hervey Bay flight carrying an air hostess who has since tested positive.

The mayor’s result came back about 4pm Friday.

In a statement, Mr Seymour said locals needed to “ensure they are listening to and following the advice of Queensland Health” regarding the flights to and from Hervey Bay on July 12.

“Anyone who was on one of these two flights is being urged to get tested and self isolate until the test result comes back,” he said

“Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms at any time should get tested, and now more so than ever.”

Despite having “no symptoms” over the past 11 days and the negative test result, Mr Seymour said he would be self isolating for the next four days.

“Council will continue to work with Queensland Government agencies to support them in any way we can following this latest development,” he said.

Fraser Coast mayor George Seymour.

UPDATE

The Chronicle understands Mr Seymour is self-isolating and his colleagues, including all councillors, have also been barred from attending community events.

This included the opening of the new war memorial installation at Maryborough this morning from which the mayor and councillors were notably absent.

The crowd had been told they had to cancel at last minute for reasons which “would soon become apparent”.

The revelation comes after Mayor Seymour urged the community to remain calm on Friday morning and asked anyone who was linked to the flights to come forward for testing.

EARLIER

Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour is urging calm and for people to get tested after it was revealed a flight attendant who was on a service to Hervey Bay has tested positive to Covid.

The woman travelled on six separate flights between Brisbane, Longreach, Gladstone and Hervey Bay.

The flight attendant was on a flight from Brisbane to Hervey Bay, then from Hervey Bay to Brisbane, on July 12.

She was also in the domestic terminal.

Chief health officer Jeannette Young said the woman, aged in her 30s, lived in Banyo.

“It’s a new outbreak,” Dr Young said.

The Covid-positive woman has remained in Brisbane since July 13 and contact tracers are working to find if she has been out in the community.

Cr Seymour said it was important for everyone who was on the flights -Brisbane to Hervey Bay, Qantas flight 2374 and Hervey Bay to Brisbane, Qantas flight 2375 on July 12 – to get tested.

He said anyone with symptoms should get a test.

But Cr Seymour urged people to remain calm.

“Don’t panic,” he said.

“It’s important to follow the advice of Queensland Health.

“We’re in a pandemic. You never know what’s around the corner and something like this was bound to happen.”

Cr Seymour urged people to follow medical advice.

Hervey Bay Airport. Photo: Cody Fox

The woman’s symptoms started on July 13 and she got tested this week.

The woman told contact tracers that she first experienced symptoms on July 13.

Dr Young said the woman was tested on Wednesday, July 21 and her result came back on Thursday afternoon.

“I would have far preferred that she got tested on July 13, of course I would have,” she said.

Dr Young said given the “enormous amount of testing” that had been carried out in Queensland over the past few weeks, it didn’t add up that no other cases related to the flight attendant had been found.

“It’s not actually making sense to me that we’ve got this and we’ve not had other cases because we know with the Delta variant, and I’ve confirmed that it is the Delta variant, we know that it usually spreads within two days,” Dr Young said.

“In Victoria they are seeing spread from one person to the next in 30 hours so I would have expected there would have been spread and then spread and then spread, and I’ve not seen that.”

Dr Young said she needed more information before considering another lockdown.

“It could be that this flight attendant has done everything that was required and maintained distance, and that there’s been good hygiene,” she said.

“That’s why we’ve got all those plans in place.

“If not one person on all of those six flights tests positive today, that would be very reassuring.”

Originally published as Fraser Coast mayor to self-isolate after link to Covid flight