Overview
Two months after the Greater Brisbane area went into a snap three-day lockdown in response to a COVID-19 case, and following a period since that has been clear of community-acquired cases, state authorities have announced a new local infection. A doctor who had contact with two COVID-19 patients at the Princess Alexandra Hospital has now tested positive. Queensland Health first issued an announcement about the case late on Friday, March 12, and has now followed up today, Saturday, March 13 by outlining places that residents should note.
By now, it has become a familiar routine — and, in this case, if you've visited these spots on the dates and during the times outlined, you should get a test for COVID-19 immediately and quarantine until you receive your results. This applies regardless of whether you have any coronavirus symptoms or not.
On the high-risk list, all due to visits on Thursday, March 11: West End's Morning After from 2–3.15pm, Corporate Box Gym in Greenslopes from 5.45–7pm and the Stones Corner Hotel in Stones Corner from 7–7.45pm.
Queensland Health has also identified McDonald's Coorparoo as a low-risk site, applying to visits from 3.10–3.20am on Thursday, March 11 — and the Corporate Box Gym in Greenslopes is on the low-risk list as well, but applying from 7pm that day. That means that anyone at either place at those times is being asked to monitor for symptoms and get tested if any arise.
Patients and staff who may have been in contact with the doctor at the PA Hospital on Thursday, March 11 are also being contacted — and being quarantined, tested or both.
In response to the current case, Queensland is changing some of its restrictions. All hospitals, aged care and disability services in the Greater Brisbane area — which includes Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, Moreton Bay and Redlands — are now closed to visitors for at least three days, and anyone who does go inside has to wear a mask. The PA Hospital was also placed on lockdown on Friday night. The emergency department remains open, though, but Brisbanites are asked to get care at a nearby hospital or at a GP instead if they can.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said that the government will be "keeping the public updated over the next 72 hours. The next 72 hours is pretty critical to see if there has been any further community spread". For now, though, no other restrictions are tightening. Overnight, the state loosened caps on the amount of people who can gather in homes and in outdoor public areas, to 100 and 500 respectively.
While Premier Palaszczuk said that the government isn't requiring the general community to wear masks at this stage, the usual advice applies — including maintaining a 1.5-metre distance from other people, washing our hands thoroughly, and the standard social distancing and hygiene tactics that have been in place for the past year.
Queensland currently has 42 active cases of COVID-19, including the one community case, from a pandemic-wide total of 1379 to-date.
For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Queensland, head to the QLD COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website.
Top image: Google Maps.