A dinner to die for? Young woman accused of lying her way into Queensland is pictured enjoying a Korean meal while ‘infecting an aged care worker with coronavirus who was eating at the next table’
- Woman accused of lying her way into Queensland enjoyed a Korean meal
- A husband and wife sitting at the next table has since tested positive for COVID
- The wife is an aged care employee and worked for 8 hours while infectious
- It has sparked fears that the cluster will spark a major outbreak in Queensland
- Diana Lasu, Olivia Winnie Muranga and Haja Timbo have been charged
- They face up to five years in prison if they are found guilty of fraud offences
Queensland is bracing for its fresh coronavirus outbreak to worsen after it emerged an aged care worker sat next to a woman accused of lying her way into the state while infected with COVID-19
Diana Lasu, 21, Olivia Winnie Muranga, 19, and Haja Timbo, 21, are accused of lying on their border declarations about having been in Melbourne when they arrived in Brisbane on July 21.
Lasu and Muranga have since tested positive for coronavirus after they visited 11 venues in Brisbane.
On Sunday, a picture emerged of one of the women enjoying a Korean meal at Madtongsan IV restaurant in Sunnybank, Brisbane, on July 23.
The woman (right) enjoyed a meal at Korean restaurant Madtongsan IV in Sunnybank, Brisbane. A husband and wife who were sitting at the next table has since tested positive for COVID-19
The woman was eating at Madtongsan IV Restaurant (pictured) after allegedly lying about being in Melbourne when she arrived in Queensland
At the next table was an aged care worker who was dining with her 27-year-old husband. Both have now tested positive for coronavirus.
Authorities have revealed that the aged care employee worked for eight hours at Bolton Clarke nursing home, in Pinjarra Hills, while she was unknowingly infected with COVID-19 on July 28.
All staff and residents are now on red alert and have been told to get tested immediately.
Lasu, Muranga and Timbo have all been charged with one count each of providing false or misleading documents and fraud over their alleged lies to authorities when they arrived in Brisbane.
Diana Lasu (right), 21, and Olivia Winnie Muranga (left), 19, allegedly lied on their border declarations
Haja Timbo (pictured) has been identified as the third woman, who allegedly provided misleading documents at the Queensland border after visiting Melbourne
The women could be fined $13,345 or sent to jail for a maximum of five years.
Unfortunately the 27-year-old husband of the aged care worker, who is from Bellbird Park, south of Brisbane, visited 15 locations while he was potentially infectious.
These included a Kmart and a JB HiFi at the Garden City Shopping Centre on July 26 and two different Bunnings on July 27.
Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young praised the young couple saying they have been ‘model citizens’, Courier Mail reported.
Lasu and Muranga remain in Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital under police guard, partly for their own protection.
Timbo is in hotel quarantine in an inner-city hotel and spoke briefly to the Courier Mail last week.
‘I want everything to be confidential. I don’t want to be in the media or my friends to be in the media,’ she said.
Police said the trio are now cooperating with officers and Queensland Health officials.
The women will appear at Brisbane Magistrates Court on September 28.
‘There is no further information available at this time in relation to the ongoing criminal investigation,’ a statement read.
Muranga allegedly went to work for two days at Parklands Christian College in Park Ridge, south of Brisbane. Pictured are people lining up at the college on Thursday to get a COVID-19 test after a pop-up clinic was set up
Police investigators and health authorities will analyse the women’s mobile phone data to track their movements.
A police source has meanwhile alleged the teenagers threw a party for about 20 people at their accommodation in Melbourne earlier this month, the Brisbane Times reported.
Victoria Police issued infringement notices to all in attendance at the party after being called to reports of a ‘disturbance’.
Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said police were confident everyone who had been to the Melbourne party had now been identified.
Police on Thursday revealed 40 people have been caught lying to authorities while crossing the Queensland border.
