Queensland Covid outbreak continues to grow as 19 new cases announced

Queensland’s Covid outbreak grew by 16 locally transmitted cases on Wednesday, Deputy Premier Steve Miles announced at the state’s daily update. 

The 16 cases were linked to the Indooroopilly State High School Delta cluster. 

Four cases are linked to Ironside state school including one teacher, two cases to Indooroopilly state High School, one case is linked to Brisbane Boys Grammar and nine cases which are close contacts or family members of cases already identified in the cluster.

‘That brings this outbreak to 63 genomically linked cases meaning that in less than a week, this has become our biggest outbreak since the first wave last year,’ Mr Miles said.   

Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young tried to clear up confusion over stay-at-home rules amid reports many people in the 11 LGAs were visiting shops and still travelling to work.

‘I need every single person who lives in the 11 LGAs instead of reading a direction and working out what they might be able to do under that direction, instead when you open your front door, could you, please, think, “Do I really need to go outside my front door today?”‘

‘Maybe just stay home because you can only move this virus around if the person moves around.’ 

Dr Young even suggested people should consider their need to do online shopping. 

‘I’m a great online shopper,’ she said. 

‘Could you think about whether you need to do online shopping this week. 

‘Do you need those people out in the community delivering packages and things?

‘Maybe just leave them for a week. And click and collect – do you really need that furniture that I know you can go and click and collect which is safer, absolutely, than going into the store, but it still means you’re putting someone else at risk.’

Mr Miles said the case was reported in North Queensland on Tuesday afternoon remained under investigation. 

‘It’s confirmed to be the Delta strain but not linked to the current outbreak in Brisbane,’ he said.  

Queensland now had 100 active cases, the most in Queensland since last year’s initial outbreaks.  

Authorities are unsure of the link between an overseas case and Queensland’s Delta outbreak, saying testing is crucial to rule out ‘other transmission events’

A policeman stops a vehicle to check for compliance with lockdown orders in Brisbane on Tuesday. Queensland Police announced yesterday it would install RBT-style roadblocks to ensure drivers have a valid reason for travelling

A policeman stops a vehicle to check for compliance with lockdown orders in Brisbane on Tuesday. Queensland Police announced yesterday it would install RBT-style roadblocks to ensure drivers have a valid reason for travelling

‘The good news is of those 16 new cases related to the Indooroopilly Delta outbreak, two were in quarantine for their entire infectious period,’ said chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young.

She said the Cairns pilot had likely acquired the Delta virus while working and despite being fully vaccinated with Pfizer.  

‘It’s highly likely he’s acquired this infection while he’s been about his work piloting one of those ships,’ Dr Young said. 

‘His family members who live in the same household as him, his partner and child, are negative, but he did take his child to a child care centre so that’s why the child care centre his child attends has been closed while they clean it and assess the risk there.’  

The number of close contact exposure sites is approaching 150, with recent additions including Kmart, McDonalds and Aldi in Indooroopilly, a swim school in St Lucia and a netball court in Graceville, as well as a site on the Gold Coast.

Overnight Brisbane Grammar School confirmed its outbreak now numbered five students, one teacher and one parent who caught the Delta strain of the virus.   

Dr Young said yesterday she remained uncertain about how the outbreak is linked to the initial two cases who arrived from overseas in late June, as she encouraged Queenslanders to keep testing numbers high.

‘It’s really important so that we can just make sure that we don’t have any other transmission events,’ she said. 

There is still hope the lockdown that covers 11 LGAs, from the border with NSW to Noosa, will lift as planned at 4pm on Sunday. 

Dr Young says high testing numbers are crucial with uncertainty remaining about how the outbreak is linked to the initial two cases who arrived from overseas in late June

Dr Young says high testing numbers are crucial with uncertainty remaining about how the outbreak is linked to the initial two cases who arrived from overseas in late June

A cleaner in protective gear is seen at Ironside State School in Brisbane on Tuesday. A number of Brisbane schools had been

A cleaner in protective gear is seen at Ironside State School in Brisbane on Tuesday. A number of Brisbane schools had been 

‘Everyone just stay at home if you can at all, and that way we’ll get through this, and we can lift on Sunday. That’s absolutely my aim,’ Dr Young said.  

Meanwhile, Dr Young changed her tune on the AstraZeneca at yesterday’s press conference.

She had long insisted only those aged over 60 should line up to get the AstraZeneca vaccine – despite Australian government advice recently shifting.

Even on Monday, Dr Young stood by her position that younger Queenslanders should wait for Pfizer or Moderna because of a rare risk of clotting illnesses.  

‘I said I didn’t want 18 year olds to have AstraZeneca — and I still don’t. Even now,’ she said.

She then nominated 60 as an appropriate age to get the Oxford University-designed vaccine.

But Dr Young appeared to shift away from her harsh previous stance on Tuesday, as the state reported 16 further cases of the highly infectious Indian Delta strain. 

‘Now is the time that people who are under the age 60 should be talking to their GP about what is best for them as an individual,’ she said on Tuesday.

‘GPs know their patients and know what advice to give them’.   

Meanwhile, Queensland Police are installing RBT-style roadblocks to ensure drivers have a valid reason for travelling.

‘We’ll start RBT-type stops at intersections to check if people are allowed out for a valid reason,’ Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said.

‘There is nothing to fear if people are doing the right thing.’

LATEST CLOSE CONTACT SITES IN QUEENSLAND 

Mick’s Nuts, 31 Hardgrave Rd, West End, 11.19am – 11.30am – Saturday 31 July 2021 

St Lucia Pharmacy, 26 Hawken Dr, St Lucia, 11.20am – 11.30am – Saturday 31 July 2021

Hanaromart Level 1, Indooroopilly Shopping centre, 322 Moggill Road

Indooroopilly, 11.25am – 11.50am – Saturday 31 July 2021

Coffee Mentality, West End Markets, West End, 11.30am – 11.40am – Saturday 31 July 2021

Izakaya Sushu, Level 1, Indooroopilly Shopping centre, 322 Moggill Road, Indooroopilly, 11.40am – 12.05pm – Saturday 31 July 2021

Fresh Berries direct, West End Markets, West End, 11.40am – 11.50am – Saturday 31 July 2021    

Charlie Fruit and Veg, West End Markets, West End, 11.50am – 11.55am – Saturday 31 July 2021 

Trade Winds Seafood Runaway Bay, West End Markets, West End, 11.55am – 12.05pm – Saturday 31 July 2021 

Kmart, Indooroopilly Shopping Centre, Indooroopilly, 12.05pm- 12.15pm – Saturday 31 July 2021

Juicy Choice, West End Markets, West End, 12.05pm – 12.15pm -Saturday 31 July 2021

Fitzroy Island Adventures, Ferry to Cairns, Fitzroy Island Jetty, Fitzroy Island, 3.45pm – 4.30pm – Sunday 1 August 2021

Hidden Café, 12-14 Deauville Close, Yorkeys Knob, 10am – 12.15pm, Monday 2 August 2021

Bluewater Village Early Learning, 1-7 Maritime Way, Trinity Beach, 12am-11.59pm – Monday 2 August 2021

Hawken Drive Pharmacy, 26 Hawken Dr, St Lucia, 8.13am  – 8.20am – Tuesday 3 August 2021 

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