COVID Victoria: 0 new cases, Brisbane lockdown to fight super strain

After the Queensland government ordered a three-day lockdown of the Brisbane area, Victoria’s Department of Health on Friday afternoon issued advice to any Victorians who had been in parts of Brisbane.

Victorians who have been in, visited or travelled through the local government areas of Brisbane City Council, Moreton Bay Regional Council, Redland, Ipswich or Logan City councils since January 2 have been warned not leave those areas until at least Monday.

Those who have arrived in Victoria from these areas since January 2 should get tested and remain at home or their place of accommodation until Monday, when a further assessment will be made.

All Victorians in these areas are being advised to follow the guidance of the Queensland government.

Any Victorian with plans to travel to these areas should cancel them.

The advice comes after National Cabinet declared Queensland a national hotspot after the discovery of a UK variant of COVID-19 in a cleaner at a Brisbane quarantine hotel.

Meanwhile, there was a sigh of relief from travellers touching down in Melbourne Airport from Brisbane on Friday afternoon after they narrowly avoided being caught in the city’s lockdown.

Several flights landed at the airport on Friday and with no additional health checks in place for Brisbane travellers, travellers walked straight through the arrival gates.

Nick Veitch and Kate Speechley flew in from Brisbane with their sons, four-year-old Tom and two-year-old Will, after a family holiday over the festive season.

The Ashburton family said they were happy that they weren’t booked on a later flight.

“We were on the tarmac when the announcements came through. I think it might be different for flights later on,” Ms Speechley, 35, said.

“We’re really happy we got out. We’re back at work on Monday so we made it just in time.

“It would have been really irritating to be up there on a holiday and be stuck in lockdown.

Mr Veitch said the family’s holiday had already been disrupted when they had to get tested in Queensland.

“We already had to isolate and get a test when we were up there because we were travelling from Victoria. It was this little one (Tom’s) sixth covid test.

Ms Speechley added: “We all had COVID-19 last year, back in July. I feel like it’s following us around but for once, we’ve been lucky.”

Brisbane couple Teagan Lowe and Darcy Andrews said they felt “incredibly lucky” to make it to Melbourne.

“It was crazy. Our flight was at 8.50am and we got the news at 8.30am that Brisbane was going into lockdown,” Mr Andrews, 35, said.

“We’ve waited such a long time for Teagan to get back to see her family, it’s been over 12 months. The irony of Brisbane going into lockdown as we’re leaving.

“I think (the Queensland government) will handle it well. I think it’ll be received positively.

“Seeing what happened in Sydney, they’ve just slammed it shut and I think it’s for the best.”

Ms Lowe, 34, revealed the couple had flown into Melbourne to attend her sister’s engagement party that night.

“A lockdown for three days is better than having to be locked down for months,” she said.

“We’re fortunate to have been able to get back here to my family. I’m so excited to see everyone.”

Judith Simmons hugged her daughter Nicola Jones tightly after she stepped into the arrivals hall after flying back from Brisbane.

The 71-year-old Mount Martha woman said there were no guidelines given to passengers on the flight other than to wear a mask and no checks once they disembarked the flight.

“We were told to put masks on for flying which of course we did, but apart from that, nothing,” Ms Simmons said.

“They announced on the plan that facemasks are compulsory again in Victoria but apart from that no, there were no temperature checks or anything.

“I’d been up to the Gold Coast for my son’s 50th birthday and Christmas to see my little granddaughter. I’m glad to be back.”

Ms Jones added: “Mum usually flies from the Gold Coast Airport but you have to cross the NSW border to get to the airport so this time she had to travel into Brisbane.”

Sam Walters, 37, was also glad to make it back to Melbourne after news of the lockdown after spending Christmas with family in Queensland.

The Clifton Hill man also said that travellers weren’t given any additional advice once they got off the plane.

“There were announcements made on the flight about protocols, like that it was mandatory to wear a mask in Victoria, but there was no one at the gate,” he said.

“I was planning on coming home today anyway so it hasn’t affected my travel plans at all.”

NEW RULES FOR TRAVELLERS FLYING INTO VICTORIA

National Cabinet has agreed on a range of new measures for international travellers coming to Australia on a bid to combat the new UK super-virus threat.

The Herald Sun understands the national committee today agreed to introduce pre-flight testing for all international travellers, meaning negative COVID-19 tests would have to be produced within 72 hours of boarding a flight.

Masks are also set to become mandatory on all international and domestic flights, and flight crews will also have to undergo regular testing.

All hotel quarantine staff Australia wide will also be subjected to daily COVID tests.

It is understood Victoria, where the policy is already underway, strongly prosecuted for the daily tests after some other states wanted just weekly testing.

The national cabinet is now discussing the evolving situation in Queensland.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to address the media later today.

ADVICE FOR VICS TRAVELLING TO QLD IMMINENT

Victorians planning to travel to Queensland have been told to sit tight pending advice set to be issued later today.

Daniel Andrews said Victorian authorities were in talks with Queensland counterparts after a three-day lockdown was announced for Brisbane on Friday morning.

Mr Andrews said the detail of the Brisbane situations was still being worked through, and said he would have advice for Victorians planning to either travel to Queensland or return home later today.

The Premier said there was a degree of confidence around the Brisbane situation because the lockdown had been limited to the city and not extended to the entire state.

“This is a relevant issue that the risk profile is relevant to that part of Queensland, not the whole of Queensland,” Mr Andrews said.

“Hopefully in the next few hours we’ll have absolute clarity for everybody from Victoria in Queensland, anyone who wanted to travel to Queensland and had those plans made for the weekend, for instance,” he said.

“I will provide people with definitive and clear advice as soon as possible but by its very nature because it’s based on facts, and because it’s based on science and public health, you have to have a clear understanding of what’s going on in Brisbane,” he said.

Mr Andrews said Queensland premier Anastasia Palaschuk would brief all premiers and the Prime Minister at an urgent national cabinet meeting called for today.

The meeting has been called to consider proposals made by Australia’s top health chiefs about tough new measures aimed at combating the spread of the new UK super-virus.

“I think given the extremely infectious and contagious nature of this UK variant, it is very very important that we do everything we can,” Mr Andrews said.

“Each additional step that we take is all about keeping us safe.

“(It) is not here, it has not been here, and it is our aim to keep it out.”

It comes as Victoria again recorded no new local cases of COVID-19 sparking increased confidence that the Black Rock cluster is now under control.

But Mr Andrews said there wasn’t the same degree of confidence around Victoria’s only mystery case, a positive case in a man in his 30s from Vermont South.

Genomic sequencing has linked the case to Sydney’s Northern Beaches but health authorities have been unable to trace the case back to an index case.

“That means there’s at least one other person out there who’s got it and gave it to the Vermont South guy,” Mr Andrews said.

“Who else has acquired as part of that chain of transmission, that’s not yet known to us.”

The outcome of more than 10,000 results was delayed by a computer outage at coronavirus test contractor Dorevitch Pathology.

Mr Andrews said the issue had been rectified in the early hours of Friday morning.

“Apologies to those who have waited a little longer than normal… but those results are now being fed out to people,” he said.

23,108 test results were received in the past 24 hours, and the 10,000 delayed results will be counted in tomorrow’s virus update.

Thousands of Victorians remain stranded in NSW with 579 exemption now granted to return home.

Mr Andrews said he hoped to be able to announce everyone could return home next week.

One new case was recorded in a returned traveller in hotel quarantine

BRISBANE TO ENTER THREE DAY LOCKDOWN

Greater Brisbane will enter a three day lockdown in a bid to contain a potential outbreak of a mutant strain of COVID-19.

Residents in Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, Moreton Bay and Redlands council areas will enter a strict three day lockdown from 6pm on Friday until 6pm on Monday.

It comes as the state recorded zero local virus cases and nine in hotel quarantine.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she was taking the drastic measure to prevent further spread of the highly contagious strain.

Residents of Greater Brisbane will only be allowed to leave their home for four reasons, and will have to wear a mask when they are outside their home.

Read more.

FOUR NEW LOCAL CASES IN NSW

There have been four new cases of coronavirus recorded in NSW, all linked to known outbreaks.

Of those two are linked to the Berala cluster, one is associated with the Croydon cluster and the other is a man from Avalon who is linked to the northern beaches cluster.

His infection was announced on Thursday but is included in Friday’s numbers

– Erin Lyons

NATIONAL CABINET TO DECIDE NEW TRAVEL MEASURES

Pre-flight testing for travellers and other beefed-up measures to protect against a super strain of coronavirus could begin as early as next week.

National Cabinet will on Friday discuss the raft of measures recommended by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee to lock out the highly infectious variation spreading throughout the United Kingdom.

A Queensland hotel quarantine cleaner was on Thursday confirmed to have been infected with the mutated virus, in what is Australia’s first community case.

At least four return travellers in Victoria’s hotel quarantine have also been hit by the super bug.

Premier Daniel Andrews said a key focus would be for all states to routinely test hotel quarantine staff, as happens in Victoria’s revamped program.

He said he was confident many of the AHPPC’s recommendations would be adopted and authorities would act quickly to roll them out.

“It can be done very, very fast and it absolutely needs to be,” Mr Andrews said.

“Given that this very infectious strain out of the UK is moving pretty fast, so we need to move fast too.”

The medical expert panel has met every day since before Christmas to monitor the UK and refine Australia’s processes to better protect the country from the super-potent strain.

Among the changes being floated are pre-flight testing, mandatory masks on planes and requirements for airlines to screen flight crews weekly.

Scott Morrison said he had requested a “clear proposal” from the AHPPC for the National Cabinet to consider at its emergency meeting on Friday.

The Prime Minister said the plan would “deal with the end-to-end process on international arrivals” — from getting on the plane to the end of mandatory quarantine.

“Getting Australians home is important,” Mr Morrison said. “But keeping Australians safe and ensuring the robustness of our processes and the quarantine arrangements, particularly with the additional risks that come with the more contagious strain, that is obviously what has prompted my request to the Chief Medical Officer this week.”

Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said the AHPPC had been looking at extra measures above the current hotel quarantine system to keep Australia safe.

“It (the new strain) is now pretty much the only game in town in the UK,” he said.

“We know that hotel quarantine is safe. We need to, though, look at what else, if anything, needs to be done and that is what will be discussed at National Cabinet.”

Sonny Palmer, his wife Fiona and daughter Lexie, 7, returned to Melbourne on Thursday after holidaying in Noosa.

The medical doctor said he would fully support tighter measures for those entering Australia.

“It’s mental to me. My friends work in the UK … and I actually don’t know how we let people in without knowing their COVID status,” Dr Palmer said. “(If they were tested) at least you know as they get on the plane, and you can quarantine them accordingly.

“At least then you know you can’t lose. No one wants to shut down again and no one wants all those people to get sick again.”

FRESH HOPE FOR VICTORIANS STRANDED ACROSS BORDER

Victorians trapped in NSW have been given a glimmer of hope, with Daniel Andrews flagging border rules could change by next week.

The Premier on Thursday defended the decision to enforce a hard border closure after more than 3400 people applied for exemptions to get into Victoria.

But he hoped the government would soon be able to announce an altered permit system that could tackle the growing backlog.

“We will work through all of those things but I do hope that those settings can change and can change fairly soon. Maybe next week, maybe early the following week,” he said.

“As soon as they can change then we will have people able to get a permit much more easily than applying for an exemption.

“We’ll do everything we can to get you home as soon as possible but I cannot have a situation where there is a pathway home for you, and you bring the virus with you.”

Mr Andrews said he expected the school year to start as planned, leaving stranded Victorian families in a race against time. Students are due to return to the classroom on January 28, less than three weeks away, but could be required to quarantine for a fortnight on returning from NSW.

Asked if the government would ensure children were home in time to start school, Mr Andrews said: “I would hope to be able to make some announcements next week but … advice is driven by what’s happening … in Sydney and throughout NSW.”

Monash University globalisation, leadership and policy lecturer Fiona Longmuir said the first few weeks of school were crucial.

“If kids can’t get back, particularly Melbourne kids, it just exacerbates the impact of last year,” she said. “They need to connect with new groups and make friendships … It’s a bit of a shadow over what should be a normal, safe school year.”

NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance on Thursday reiterated his government’s frustrations with the border closures. “I would have thought it’s a basic human right to be able to return to one’s home in Australia,” he said.