COVID-19 UPDATE: Three new local cases

There have been five new cases in Queensland in the past 24 hours, two are in hotel quarantine and three are the result of community transmission.

The three include a 12-year-old boy who had been in hotel quarantine in Sydney and travelled with a parent to Brisbane on flight QF544 and has since tested positive. His father has also tested positive. The boy and his mother returned to Brisbane on July 9 and live at Newport.

The pair had been in the US for three months before returning to Sydney. The boy became unwell and saw a doctor at Aspley, went to a pharmacy next door and was tested at Kippa-Ring. His mother has so far tested negative, but his father (who did not travel to the US) has since tested positive. He was infectious while at work on the Sunshine Coast yesterday.

Queensland Health is working with the family to identify potential exposure sites.

The third case is a fully vaccinated Brisbane International Airport worker who lives at Tarragindi. The case is a woman in her 40s who worked at the airport while unknowingly infectious and became unwell on July 13. Queensland Health is working with her to identify potential exposure sites.

As a result, the planned easing of restrictions including no longer needing to wear masks has been abandoned. Residents from 11 local government areas including the Moreton Bay Region will need to continue wearing masks for the next week (until 6am, July 23). 

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the steps are needed to avoid a lockdown and to give contact tracers time to do their work.

"I know people are going to be disappointed by that but what we don't want to see is these outbreaks that are happening across the country," she says.

"We have to get on top of these things quickly."

Ms Palaszczuk says, as a result of the worsening situation in Victoria, she is urging Queenslanders not to go there and for those already there to consider coming home. Queenslanders are also being urged not to go to New South Wales.

The new cases take Queensland's total to 50 active cases. There have been more than 12,000 tests in the past 24 hours and more than 14,000 people have been vaccinated. 

Ms Palaszczuk is urging anyone with symptoms to get tested, saying it is the best way we can protect the community.

"We are seeing the spot fires happening across the nation and we need to get this under control," she says.

New exposure sites will be added later today.

Mystery cases

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young says genome sequencing on all three cases should be completed today and will hopefully shed light on how they became infected. She does not believe they are linked to existing cases in South East Queensland. This means there is one, possibly two new outbreaks.

She is urging anyone over 60 who has not already been vaccinated to contact their GP or vaccination clinic to receive their vaccine.  

Dr Young says she is particularly concerned about the Brisbane International Airport worker who worked for three days and did not know she was infectious. Contact tracers will now work to identify who she came into contact with.

"Any of those people could have, of course, gone home anywhere in South East Queensland, so we just need to maintain those restrictions for another seven days. I know they're difficult. I'm sure everyone is sick and tired of wearing masks - they're uncomfortable - but they are extremely important," she says.

Dr Young says she is closely watching the situation in New South Wales and Victoria. There will be no changes to the border at this time, but she is urging people not to go there in a case there is a need to close the border.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles says he understands today's news is disappointing for people, including those in the hospitality industry, who were counting on restrictions easing tomorrow.

"An extra week of masks is better than a lockdown and that's what we're trying to avoid," Mr Miles says.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath says it is important people continue to social distancing, hand hygiene, wearing of masks, staying at home when unwell and getting tested.

"We need people to take any symptoms whatsoever seriously and get tested at any one of our clinics, public or private across Queensland," she says.

Ms DÁth is also urging Queenslanders who have travelled interstate to check the Queensland Health exposure sites website at least once a day to ensure they have not visited an exposure site in another state.

"If we all do this, we can keep our community safe," she says.

Possible exposure sites

Close contacts

If you have been to this location in Queensland at the relevant times you must do the following:

1. immediately travel by private transport directly to your home or accommodation and quarantine
2. get tested at your earliest opportunity
3. complete the online contact tracing form by clicking or tapping on the name for the relevant location in the table below. A pop up window will appear with specific advice for that location and a link to the form.
   If you are unable to complete the contact tracing form please call 134 COVID (134 268).
4. continue to quarantine even after receiving a negative result. After you complete the contact tracing form you will be contacted by Queensland Health.

If you are no longer in Queensland please check with the relevant state health department for health advice and requirements.

This table last updated 14 Jul 2021 10:05am.

Casual contacts

If you have been to any of the below locations at the relevant times you must do the following:

1. immediately travel by private transport directly to your home or accommodation and quarantine
2. get tested at your earliest opportunity
3. continue to quarantine until you receive a negative result
4. enter your details into the contact tracing form by clicking or tapping on the name for the relevant location in the table below. You will not be contacted by Queensland Health unless additional information about the exposure changes the risk level
5. continue to monitor for symptoms, if you become symptomatic get tested and isolate until you receive a negative result.

If you are no longer in Queensland please check with the relevant state health department for health advice and requirements.

This table last updated 14 Jul 2021 3:51pm.

Low risk contacts

If you have been to any of the below locations at the relevant times you must do the following:

1. get tested but you do not need to isolate unless you have symptoms
2. if you are experiencing symptoms, quarantine at home until you receive a negative result
3. continue to monitor for symptoms, if you become symptomatic get tested and isolate until you receive a negative result.

If you are no longer in Queensland please check with the relevant state health department for health advice and requirements.

This table last updated 14 Jul 2021 3:51pm.

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Everyone in the community should monitor for symptoms during the pandemic. If symptomatic, please get tested and isolate until you receive a negative result.