29 Jun 2021

Queensland going into lockdown, NSW records 19 new cases

3:11 pm on 29 June 2021

Parts of Queensland will go into a three-day lockdown after the state recorded two new locally acquired cases of Covid-19.

Queensland Minister for Health Yvette D'Ath speaks at Parliament House

Photo: Bradley Kanaris / 2021 Getty Images

New South Wales this afternoon also announced 19 new locally acquired infections on day four of the state's lockdown.

South-east Queensland, Townsville city, Magnetic Island and Palm Island will go into lockdown for three days from 6pm today (local time), Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

"We've had two extensive meetings this morning about this. We have to take the advice of Dr Young. I've accepted that advice," Palaszczuk said.

The southeast Queensland lockdown local government areas include the 11 that had restrictions and mask orders imposed this morning: Brisbane, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Noosa, Redlands, Moreton, Somerset and Logan.

Townsville, Palm Island and Magnetic Island in north Queensland will also be part of the lockdown order.

It is expected the lockdown will lift at 6pm on Friday.

Hospital worker unvaccinated

One of the community cases involves an unvaccinated 19-year-old clerical worker from the Prince Charles Hospital.

"Despite the health directives that she should have been vaccinated, she was not," Palaszczuk said.

"Let me say, I am absolutely furious about this."

Last week the woman who tested positive had travelled from her home in Sandgate near Brisbane to Magnetic Island and on Sunday visited the markets in Townsville.

The Premier said fever clinics would be set up on Magnetic Island and in Townsville.

Queensland's Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said genome sequencing for the woman should be available tonight.

"This particular individual worked as a casual and they sat outside the Covid ward at the Prince Charles Hospital, so there might be a link there but genome sequencing will tell me what's occurred, and where that risk is," Dr Young said.

Dr Young said the woman developed symptoms last Monday and was infectious from 7pm from Saturday 19 June.

Two others who were living with her as well as a friend were unwell and were tested with results pending.

The other community case was a miner in Ipswich, who had been in home quarantine.

Meanwhile, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says she's hopeful the state has avoided a "surge" in Covid-19 cases, after 19 new locally acquired infections were confirmed on day four of the state's lockdown.

New South Wales' Premier Gladys Berejiklian speaks to Muslims at the Lekamba mosque after an Eid al-Fitr prayer in western Sydney on June 25, 2017.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian Photo: AFP

Seventeen of the 19 new cases were linked to known clusters. The other two are under investigation.

A total of 67,000 tests were conducted in the 24 hours to 8pm (local time) yesterday.

Of the two cases under investigation, NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said one case lived within the eastern suburbs of Sydney and the other worked within the eastern suburbs.

Dr Chant said seven of today's cases were in isolation while infectious.

"As I have indicated, what I want to see in progressive days is that we start seeing all of the cases being effectively isolated that we're announcing," she said.

"That will be a key indicator of success.

"At the moment we're still seeing some cases that were potentially infectious in the community but what we're hoping is because of the lockdown, the number of interactions those cases have had, where there is the potential for transmitting the virus, would have decreased significantly."

NSW Health confirmed it is treating 88 Covid-19 cases.

Two of those are in intensive care.

It said 92 percent of cases were being treated in non-acute, out-of-hospital care.

- ABC

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