COVID-19 UPDATE: Keep getting tested

There’s been three new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, two in hotel quarantine and one community transmission. The new case is the brother of the Stafford man who tested positive late last week.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young says he is likely to be the link between the PA Hospital doctor and this recent outbreak.

She says he is no longer contagious and is no longer unwell. Queensland Health will continue to work with him to find out how the transmission occurred.

It comes as Queensland Health has released a list of venues attended by a Strathpine man who tested positive to COVID-19 on Friday night. He was a close contact of the Stafford man.

It was revealed the man did not host a house party as originally thought on Saturday. There were instead five people at that home and no evidence of any offences being committed.

Those people who were at the house have been contacted and are isolating.

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

Mamma’s Italian Restaurant alert

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.

Health Minister and State Member for Redcliffe Yvette D'Ath said of the 14 tests already done with people who were at the restaurant, all have have returned a negative result.

Other venues have been added to the list. They are:

Drive-through testing clinic is open

A pop-up drive-through testing clinic is open at South Pine Sports Complex. 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.

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.

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, 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).

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