Queensland has recorded one new case of COVID-19 in a person in hotel quarantine, as genome sequencing confirms a man in a Brisbane backpacker hostel acquired COVID while in transit from the Philippines.
Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said the sequencing confirmed the man had the Alpha variant and did not contract COVID-19 while in hotel quarantine.
“He is a direct match with three other travellers who he was on two flights with – Philippines to PNG and PNG to Brisbane,” Ms D'Ath said.
“Those other three travellers were sent to a different hotel quarantine to this individual, which confirms for us that this gentlemen has contracted it from one of the other travellers while in transit on the plane or through the airport.”
Another week of masks
Ms D'Ath said residents in 11 local government areas across South East Queensland will be required to wear masks for another week despite no new cases in the community today.
"We know that people were hoping that the masks will lift, but we are up to 13 incursions of the virus through different outbreaks in Queensland over the last six weeks," Ms D'Ath said.
"We have been able to contain all of these outbreaks to very small numbers, and that is in no small part to the restrictions we've had in place – and particularly mask wearing."
There are 42 active infections in the state.
More than 25,000 people were tested in the past day, which Ms D'Ath said was "exceptional".
Man flew to WA before returning to Brisbane
Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said further contact tracing was underway after it was discovered the infected traveller had flown to Western Australia after completing quarantine in Queensland.
"When he got out of hotel quarantine here in Brisbane, he'd done his 14 days and has three negative tests, he then on-travelled to Western Australia," Dr Young said.
"They turned him around, they put him in a hotel for two days until there was a suitable flight, and then he was placed on that flight and returned to Queensland."
AAP Image: Dan Peled
)The man then stayed at the City Backpackers hostel on Roma Street in the Brisbane CBD.
Ms D'Ath said 62 people connected to the facility have been tested for COVID-19.
"We have 59 results back and they are all negative, which is great news," she said.
Dr Young said guests at the hostel would not be moved into quarantine hotel.
"We're quite comfortable with some extra support for that hotel we can manage those people there," she said.
"We just have to work out which of them have been close contacts and which [have been] casual, so who needs to remain there and who we can allow to return to their normal lives."
Dr Young said she was confident the man spent most of his time in his hostel room after falling unwell.
"The other two people in the room have tested negative which is good," she said.
"I am very relieved it's the Alpha strain and not the Delta strain."
Bulk carrier crew being treated
Meanwhile, COVID-positive crew members onboard a bulk carrier moored off Cape York have been transferred to south-east Queensland for treatment.
Nineteen of the 21 crew from the MV Sanyu contracted the virus after travelling from the Philippines.
Maritime Safety Queensland general manager Angus Mitchell said they were showing mild symptoms.
"We took five of the crew off yesterday afternoon and they've been transported down to Gold Coast University Hospital for treatment and we're getting another five off this morning," Mr Campbell said.
"The remaining crew at the moment — which is around 11 of them — will remain on the vessel at anchor and we'll monitor them on a day-by-day basis."
Mr Campbell said he did not want to take any chances with the Delta strain.
"The prevalence of people requiring advanced medical care – whether that be oxygen or ventilators or ICU – seems to be higher for Delta," he said.
"Which is why we can't keep them on the vessel up there, particularly in a remote community like Weipa."
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2021-07-29 00:11:51Z
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