Queensland authorities are furious after two women who spent eight days in the community despite having flu-like symptoms tested positive for COVID.
The women, who are both 19, live in Logan and Acacia Ridge in Brisbane’s south.
They returned to Queensland from Melbourne via a flight from Sydney on July 21, despite the state’s borders remaining closed to people from Victoria.
Police have launched a criminal investigation into their return, and the statements on their border declarations.
One of the women, a cleaner at Logan’s Parklands Christian College in the state’s south-east, returned a positive virus test late on Tuesday. Her friend, who was considered a close contact, tested positive on Wednesday.
“As a result of that, a lot of people are going to be inconvenienced,” Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said on Wednesday.
“And I do apologise to those people for what is now going to have to do occur.”
Dr Young described the situation as “very disappointing”.
Parklands Christian College was closed for cleaning on Wednesday. A fever clinic was being set up at the school – which has students from prep to year 12 – to test students, other staff and any concerned community members.
Dr Young said a string of shopping centres and restaurants in Brisbane’s south would also be forced to close temporarily for cleaning and contact tracing. Details of exactly which venues are affected will be released later on Wednesday.
“Also, I have asked that all the aged-care facilities in the Metro South area be closed to visitors and have enhanced screening of staff and that staff are not to work across multiple facilities,” she said.
“We need to act really, really fast. These two young women have been out in the community for eight days while unwell.
“Please, anyone who lives in that Logan, Acacia Ridge, Springfield Lakes, areas, if you have any symptoms at all or if you are concerned, please come forward immediately and get tested.”
The two positive cases are Queensland’s first outside returned travellers in hotel quarantine since May.
Queensland has its borders closed to everyone from Victoria, as the southern state battles with a devastating COVID outbreak.
On Wednesday, Queensland Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said there would be an investigation into how the two women returned from Victoria “including the way that they got through the border and the fact that they were in the community for eight days, when they should have been quarantined”.
“At this stage, the initial investigation is indicating that there were incorrect details on their declaration passes and we are still trying to examine all of those facts and obtain the border declaration passes,” he said.
“The investigation will look at whether that was deliberate or otherwise.”
Queensland has six active COVID-19 cases.
The post ‘Very disappointing’: Brisbane women face criminal probe after positive COVID tests appeared first on The New Daily.
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