COVID-19 UPDATE: No new cases

There have been no new cases of COVID-19 in the Queensland community in what authorities say is the best possible result of the latest outbreak. They have provided an update at Redcliffe KiteFest this morning, an event that could not have been held anywhere else on the east coast of Australia at present.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles, Health Minister Yvette D’Ath and Chief Health Officer Jeanette Young have provided an update from Redcliffe KiteFest this morning, even buying donuts to celebrate a ‘donut day’.

The family event is on until 4pm today at Clontarf’s Pelican Park. Full details here

Mr Miles says Queenslanders continue to the what is asked of them, which is paying off.

“We’re not out of the woods yet. We have to continue to monitor the situation but this is the best news we could have hoped for at this point of the outbreak,” he says.

Dr Young says more than 12,000 people have been tested in the past 24 hours and she is certain the latest outbreak came from two of three men who travelled to Queensland from New South Wales. They have had “minimal exposure in Queensland” and she is not concerned at this point.

They have however been to the Gold Coast, so she is asking anyone there to get tested if they experience any symptoms.

She again thanked the mother of the 13-year-old Sunnybank girl, whose positive test result sparked the latest outbreak, for getting her tested so early in her illness.

Dr Young also thanked the 1000 families from the St Thomas More school community for the sacrifice they were making, in home quarantining for 14 days, to keep the rest of the community safe.

There are two other cases health authorities are monitoring. One is miner who had been working West Africa, had quarantined and travelled Charters Towers and Townsville, before having a test to return to West Africa. Dr Young believes his positive test result could be ‘persistent shedding’ of the virus.

The other is a truck driver from New South Wales who was infectious while in the Queensland community on September 7 and 8. Authorities are working through possible exposure sites with the driver at present.

Dr Young is reminding people to continue wearing masks, getting tested no matter how minor their symptoms and to get vaccinated.

“If we do that, we won’t have to do it too much longer because we’ll have everyone vaccinated,” she says.

Ms D’Ath says it is wonderful to be able to share the good news at Redcliffe KiteFest, an event that could not be held anywhere else on the east coast of Australia at present, due to COVID-19 outbreaks.

“We can do this because Queenslanders have done the right thing,” she says.

In the past 24 hours, more than 18,000 people have been vaccinated, and more than 12,000 people have come forward for testing.

Ms D’Ath is hoping for another big vaccination day today and announced it will soon be mandatory for all health workers and Queensland Ambulance staff to be vaccinated.

They will need to have their first dose by September 30, with all second doses administered by the end of October.

This is to minimise the risk of transmission in hospitals and other health settings, and protect staff.

Possible exposure sites

To monitor this list, head to the website