COVID-19 UPDATE: Get tested

UPDATE: 6PM

Queensland Health has released a list of venues attended by a Strathpine man who tested positive to COVID-19 overnight.
The man, aged in his 20s, is the second confirmed case in the past two days.
He was a close contact of a 26-year-old Stafford man who tested positive late Thursday night.
A Public Health Alert has been issued for parts of Brisbane and Moreton Bay regions in relation to these cases.
More locations may be added after it was revealed the Strathpine man hosted a gathering of around 25 people at his home between being instructed to isolate and getting his positive test results.
The attendees at the party have been placed in quarantine while the risk is assessed.

Anyone who has been to any of the venues below must immediately isolate and get tested tomorrow.

EARLIER

Six news cases of COVID-19 have been recorded overnight - five in hotel quarantine and one is a close contact of the Stafford man who tested positive on Thursday night.

The man is from Strathpine and Queensland Health is speaking to him now to find out where he's been, so they can let the community know. That information should be available later today on the website.

So far, Queensland Health has identified 18 close contacts of the Stafford man.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says, while only one case of community transmission good news, the next two days are critical.

It comes as Queensland Health Minister and State Member for Redcliffe Yvette D’Ath calls for the Redcliffe community to support each other in the wake of news a 26-year-old man from Stafford dined at Mamma’s Italian Restaurant while contagious last Sunday.

“Now more than ever, Redcliffe locals need to band together. I have been disappointed to hear that Mamma’s Italian Restaurant have been receiving threats and abuse. No one deserves that,” she said in a Facebook post to her community.

“Let me be clear – businesses are not at fault, we are dealing with a global health pandemic. They deserve our support.”

Anyone who visited Mamma’s Italian Restaurant between 12.30-3.10pm on Sunday, March 21 must quarantine at home for 14 days.

They must also complete the contact tracing self-assessment if they have not already been contacted by Queensland Health.

And they must stay quarantined even if they get a negative test until the 14 days have passed. It can take 14 days before a patient shows symptoms or tests positive.

Drive-through testing clinic opens

A pop-up drive-through testing clinic has opened at South Pine Sports Complex this morning. People are being asked to remain in their vehicles. Medical staff from Sullivan Nicholaides Pathology are coming to car windows to conduct tests.

It will be open until 5pm today and will reopen at 9am tomorrow.

A security guard will be on site during testing hours and traffic management will be in place to manage congestion.

For testing, enter via the main entrance, for sport, enter via the back entrance.

Mrs D'Ath is urging people to be patient and respectful to staff at all testing sites.

She says 6881 people were tested across Queensland yesterday.

Why this is happening

Added testing capacity follows news that a 26-year-old Stafford man has tested positive for COVID-19 and had visited a number of venues and businesses in the north Brisbane and Moreton Bay Region, including Mamma’s Italian Restaurant at Redcliffe on Sunday.

Genomic testing has confirmed that Queensland’s latest locally acquired COVID-19 case is linked to the previous cluster announced on March 12 and is the highly contagious UK variant.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young says it is likely there was one unidentified intermediary who had passed the virus onto today’s positive case.

“Those identified as visiting the locations in the Public Health Alert should immediately get tested and isolate until you receive your results,” she says.

"Additionally, anyone identified as a close contact will be contacted by the Public Health Unit and required to quarantine.

“The detail from the genomic testing is getting faster and better – we know that the gentleman who tested positive on late Thursday night was highly contagious.

“We therefore cannot afford to be complacent – if you have any COVID symptoms at all, please come forward and get tested.”

Wear a mask

People in crowded areas in the Brisbane City area and Moreton Bay Region are being urged to wear a mask.

“If you’re going to a football match on the weekend. Wear a mask going into the venue. If you’re on a crowded train, put a mask on,” Ms Palaszczuk says.

She is also urging people to improve social distancing, which many had stopped doing, and to stop shaking hands.

Aged care facilities, hospitals, prisons and disability care facilities remain closed to visitors in the Brisbane City and Moreton Bay Region council areas.

It is important to:

• Stay home if you are sick

• If you have any COVID-19 symptoms, no matter how mild, get tested

• Stay 1.5 metres away from other people—think two big steps

• Wash your hands with soap and water, or hand sanitiser

• Leave the location if it is crowded.

If you have any concerns about your health, contact your doctor or contact 13HEALTH (13 43 25 84).

Find more local news here