West End cafe, southside gym and pub the focus of urgent COVID tracing

McDonald’s Coorparoo was classed as a low-priority site after the doctor bought takeaway there between 3pm and 3.10pm on Thursday.

Overnight, Queensland reported three other new cases of COVID-19 – all overseas travellers in hotel quarantine.

Queensland Deputy Health Officer Dr Sonya Bennett, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Health Minister Yvette D’Ath announce the developments on Saturday morning. Credit:Tony Moore

The doctor’s case is the first outside hotel quarantine since a Hotel Grand Chancellor cleaner circulated in the community almost 60 days ago, in January.

“I don’t want everyone to be alarmed at present,” Ms Palaszczuk said. “We have some detailed contact tracing happening.

“The doctor has spent limited time in the community, so that is also a positive for us.”

The Premier said the next 72 hours were very important to try to stop the highly contagious strain getting into the community.

“There is no need for the public in general to be wearing masks,” she said. “We will be assessing this today, and especially over the next 72 hours, to see if we have any any further community spread.”

Queensland Deputy Health Officer Dr Sonya Bennett said the doctor was not experiencing symptoms while she was at work.

All patients and staff at the Princess Alexandra Hospital are now being questioned to see if they had contact with the doctor, Dr Bennett said.

She said she would learn more about the number of contacts in the next 24 hours.

“Anyone who is potentially exposed will be going into quarantine and managed,” Dr Bennett said.

Princess Alexandra Hospital COVID-19 snapshot

5627 community checks in the past 24 hours.

Four new cases overnight; one community transmission.

18,411 people vaccinated to date, but only half of critical health workers.

Doctor assessed two COVID-positive cases on Wednesday, both with the highly contagious UK strain.

The doctor developed symptoms on Thursday before returning a positive test late on Friday.

People who visited West End’s Morning After cafe, the Stones Corner Hotel and Greenslopes’ Corporate Box gym on Thursday afternoon urged to get tested.

All hospitals, aged-care centres and disability services in Greater Brisbane closed to visitors, including Ipswich, Brisbane, Logan, Moreton Bay and Redlands council areas.

Anyone entering hospitals and aged-care centres must wear a mask, but there is no need for masks in the general community.

“We all still need to remember that COVID is still with us. We have had an infectious case in the community and we need to remind the public that anyone with symptoms, no matter how mild, please go along and get tested.”

Ms D’Ath defended the state’s vaccination rollout after revealing the doctor had not been vaccinated, despite working with highly contagious COVID-19 patients.

“We are only in week three of the national vaccination rollout,” Ms D’Ath said. “So the risk of the spread of COVID are still very much real, and we need to keep up all of our practices around social distancing and hand hygiene, and if you are unwell, staying home and getting tested.”

But Queensland’s Opposition said the rollout was too slow.

Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates said the state government had used barely a quarter of its vaccine supply.

“Instead of ripping up bills and blaming Canberra for everything, the Queensland government should have been fast-tracking the rollout of the vaccine to our frontline staff,” Ms Bates said.

“The Queensland government is behind the eight ball and now the safety and livelihoods of hardworking, honest Queenslanders are at risk.

“The vaccine is in the hands of the Queensland government. Why isn’t it in the arms of Queenslanders?”