Two Byron Bay venues are put on alert after Covid-infected nurse travelled to the holiday hotspot

Two iconic Byron Bay venues are put on alert after Covid-infected nurse travelled to the holiday hotspot from Brisbane with her sister

  • A nurse who works in the Covid-19 ward travelled to Byron Bay with her sister 
  • The pair visited two venues between March 25 and 28, before testing positive
  • Anyone who was at either location during the specified times should get tested
  • Brisbane plunged into three-day lockdown days ahead of the Easter weekend

Two busy venues in Byron Bay have been put on alert after a nurse who works in a Covid-19 ward visited the tourist hotspot from Brisbane with her sister.

The siblings were in the northern New South Wales holiday destination between March 25 and 28 while they were infectious, before they tested positive to the virus.

NSW Health officials confirmed on Monday morning that they visited The Farm Byron Bay on March 28 between 8am and 9.30am. 

They also went to The Farm Byron Bay on March 26 between 7.15pm and 8.30pm.

Anyone who was at either location during the specified times has been told to get tested immediately and self-isolate.

Testing centres will be set up in Byron Bay.

BYRON BAY VENUES ON COVID-19 ALERT 

Byron Beach Hotel – 1 Bay St, Byron Bay on Friday March 26 between 7.15pm-8.30pm.

The Farm Byron Bay – 11 Ewingsdale Rd, Ewingsdale on Sunday March 18 between 8am-9.30am.

Source: NSW Health

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the infections were reported late on Sunday night.

‘We will have to wait for genome sequencing results that we should get back late together or tomorrow morning which will make it clear,’ Ms Young said.

‘Her sister is also positive and we are not sure whether the transmission has happened there.’

The women were among four new locally-acquired cases reported by the Queensland on Monday morning, as the state was plunged into a three-day lockdown.

Three of the new cases are close contacts of existing or historical cases but those infected may have been out in the community – raising the risk more transmission may have occurred. 

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said six other cases were found in hotel quarantine.  

From 5pm on Monday evening, masks will be mandatory in public indoor settings across Greater Brisbane – which includes Brisbane, Logan, Moreton Bay, Ipswich and Redlands – and schools will be forced to close.

More than two million residents living in those areas will be allowed outside only for essential reasons – for work, for exercise, to buy essential supplies or for care.

Only two visitors will be allowed in the home under the new rules and restaurants and cafes will be restricted to takeaway service only.

The UK strain of coronavirus – known as B117 – is believed to be at least 50 per cent more transmissable than other variants.

Ms Palaszczuk said she was declaring the whole of Greater Brisbane a hotspot from 5pm and called on other states and territories to do so too.

‘There is now more community transmission, and these people have been out and about in the community, and that is of concern to Queensland Health,’ she said.

‘This will also enable our health authorities to get on top of the contact tracing,’ she said.

‘I know this will mean some disruption to people’s lives, but we’ve done this before, and we’ve got through it over those three days in the past, and if everyone does the right thing I’m sure that we will be able to get through it again.’

One of the cases had travelled to Gladstone. Anyone who has been in Brisbane since March 20 will also come under the restrictions. 

More to come 

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