Covid-19 outbreak: NSW Health to contact 20,000 travellers who arrived from Queensland

A desperate scramble is underway to contact more than 20,000 travellers who arrived into New South Wales from Queensland as the state battles another Covid-19 outbreak. 

NSW Health is tracking down those who flew into NSW between March 20 and 26 and urging them to get tested and isolate if they visited venues of concern listed by Queensland Health.

Anyone who caught flights during those dates will be sent an email and SMS. 

NSW Health is contacting more than 20,000 travellers who have arrived in the state from Queensland between March 20 and 26. Pictured: a health care worker testing people at a COVID-19 drive through testing clinic at Murarrie in Brisbane

‘Nine close contacts in NSW have been identified so far,’ NSW Health said in a statement.

‘They have been instructed to undergo a COVID-19 test and to self-isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result. These people will receive regular follow-up contact from NSW Health during this time.’

Entry declaration forms were introduced Saturday for those who spent time in Brisbane City Council or Morton Bay Regional Council areas since March 11. 

More than 3800 people have already filled out the form, which provides information to help NSW Health contact travellers if needed.  

NSW Health urges anyone in the state who arrived from the areas of concern since March 11 to monitor for even the mildest symptoms, such as headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat or runny nose, and get tested immediately. 

They are also advised to avoid non-essential visits to hospitals and residential aged care facilities and disability residential care services until further notice.  

Entry declaration forms were introduced Saturday for those who spent time in Brisbane City Council or Morton Bay Regional Council areas since March 11. Pictured: a woman at Sydney Domestic Airport

It comes as Brisbane recorded three new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, including a new case of community transmission related to a man who tested positive on Thursday.   

The locally-transmitted case has been confirmed to be the brother of a 26-year-old Stafford man who tested positive earlier last week. 

He is believed to be the ‘missing link’ between the most recent outbreak and a doctor who tested positive earlier this month.

The cluster has sparked a lockdown of Brisbane City and Moreton Bay council area hospitals, aged care facilities, prisons and disability services providers. 

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the state’s two active cases were both in hospital and while it was too early to relax, she was pleased testing efforts had not uncovered further examples of community transmission.  

Authorities backtracked on incorrect information released by Queensland Health on Saturday that a new case had hosted a Strathpine house party for up to 25 people despite being told to isolate after being tested.

‘We were told at the time there were 25 people that attended the residence,’ Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said on Sunday.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is seen during a press conference in Brisbane as the state battles another Covid-19 outbreak

Ms D’Ath added officials acted on what they understood to be true at the time and told reporters she became aware of the new information on Sunday morning.

‘It is extremely unfortunate that what has been discovered over the last 24 hours, that it wasn’t 25 people, but as I understand it this is the information that was received from this gentleman himself,’ she said.

‘Whether the health officials misunderstood what he said, I wasn’t there, I didn’t hear the conversation, but this is the information that they believe that he had provided them at the time.’

Further investigations by police and health authorities suggest the people who attended were limited to the man’s four housemates and one other person.

Late on Sunday, Queensland Police cleared the Strathpine man in his 20s – who tested positive on Friday after contracting the UK strain of COVID-19 from a male friend in Stafford – of any wrongdoing.

‘Police conducted inquiries into the allegations but are satisfied the occupants of the house did not breach the health directions, and people from outside the residence were not involved,’ a statement said.

‘Police investigators have not found any evidence to warrant action being taken against a man following reports of a house party involving people in quarantine at Strathpine.’

QUEENSLAND VENUES ON ALERT

Anyone who has been to the following venues in the specified time frames must get tested regardless of whether they have symptoms and isolate immediately until they receive a negative result: 

March 20, 12 noon to 2.16pm: every part of Westfield Carindale Shopping Centre at the alert time is now HIGH RISK

March 20, 12 noon to  2.16pm: Westfield Carindale. Shops include: Shinobi Ramen Noodle Shop, Fresh Sensations, Go Vita, Robins kitchen, Harris Scarfe and Kmart

March 20, 2.45pm to 3.45pm: Market Organics (store only), Newmarket 

March 20, 8pm: Baskin and Robbins, Everton Park 

March 21, 10.30am to 10.46am: Genki Market, Alderley  

March 21, 12.40pm to 3.10pm: Mamma’s Italian Restaurant, Redcliffe – HIGH RISK

March 22, 12.20 to 12.25pm: Guzman and Gomez, Stafford

March 22, 12.40 to 12.50pm: Bunnings, Stafford

March 25, 8.30am to 8.45am: Aldi, Stafford 

March 25, 11.15am to 11.40am: Nundah Respiratory Clinic, Nundah

Low risk venues:

March 21, 9.50am to 10.20am: Gasworks Plaza, Newstead 

March 22, 7.55pm to 8pm: KFC drive-thru, Everton Park 

 

An Aldi supermarket in Stafford, north Brisbane visited by the city’s positive Covid-19 case