Queensland has recorded two new cases of community transmission of COVID-19 linked to a cluster stemming from a leak from hotel quarantine last weekend.
Both of today’s infections were close contacts related to the Portuguese Family Centre in Ellen Grove in Brisbane’s south-west.
Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said they were in quarantine during their infectious period, so not a risk to the public.
“We now have seven cases related to that cluster, related to the lady that came from Portugal,” she said.
Dr Young said anyone who was at the DFO near Brisbane Airport between 4:00pm and 4:30pm on Saturday afternoon who has not been tested should do so as a precaution.
“Even if you do not have any symptoms so that we can make sure and be very confident that we have not had any ongoing transmission,” she said.
The cluster, all with the alpha variant of the coronavirus, began with a woman from Portugal who tested positive in the community hours after completing 14 days of mandatory hotel quarantine.
It since spread to two more of her close contacts, as well as two others from the Portuguese Family Centre.
Dr Young said she understands one of today’s cases might be the partner of the manager of the Portuguese Family Centre who tested positive yesterday, while the other person spent the day travelling to a number of places with the woman while she was infectious.
School holiday border restrictions announced
Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the state government is continuing to monitor the situation in Sydney with its growing outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant.
He said police yesterday turned around 186 people who attempted to enter Queensland on a plane from an interstate hotspot, in breach of current travel restrictions.
A total of 130 people were put into hotel quarantine.
Mr Miles said there was concern about people from Sydney holidaying alongside Queenslanders in northern New South Wales over the school holiday period, so local border passes will be reintroduced for all travellers from 1:00am on Monday.
The government had previously announced an exemption for residents on the NSW-Queensland border.
“Because of the school holidays and the New South Wales outbreak, the Sydney outbreak, we will be requiring those border declaration passes for everyone who crosses the border for the period of this New South Wales outbreak,” Mr Miles said.
“These passes last for 14 days. So, for people who come and go across the border regularly, they will only need to apply for a pass every 14 days.
“Let’s hope that the New South Wales outbreak can be contained within 14 or 28 days.”
Restrictions easing in Queensland
A number of Queensland’s COVID restrictions eased from 1:00am today, but the requirement to use the Check-In App has been expanded to more places.
Indoor venues, including restaurants, cafes and bars are now able to have three people per four square metres and buffets and smorgasbords are permitted again.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said there are also no limits on gatherings in private homes and outdoor places.
“We want to remind people to maintain these levels of restrictions, being the lowest in the country, we need to have been vigilant,” she said.
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