A frantic search is underway to determine how a young man contracted COVID-19, with fears another person could be spreading the highly infectious virus throughout Brisbane.
The 26-year-old man tested positive to coronavirus on Thursday after visiting a major shopping centre, a Bunnings store and restaurants while infectious.
Queensland’s chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said authorities had not found the source of the infection, with urgent genomic testing underway.
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The landscaper has been infectious since last Friday and began feeling ill on Monday, where he remained at home – apart from a trip to Aldi – until being tested on Thursday.
Dr Young said two tests were conducted, with both returning positive results
“I don’t know where he’s got it from, and that person who he has got it from could also be out about in the community spreading the infection,” she said.
The man has been admitted to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, though Dr Young said that was merely a precautionary measure.
Aged care facilities, hospitals, prisons, and disability care homes in the Brisbane City and Moreton Bay Council areas will be closed to visitors from midday Friday.
The man has been admitted to Brisbane Royal and Women’s Hospital.
“Their (symptoms) are not severe, that is just to make it easier for us to talk to him to get all this information to remove him from his housemates and to just manage it,” Dr Young said.
“So I’m very grateful that he’s come in to hospital, and we can work with him there.”
Dr Young allayed fears that Brisbane may go into lockdown, although if further community transmission was detected that may be an option.
She said the next 48 hours was critical, as was finding the source of the young man’s infection.
“I would hope we don’t need to have more restrictions but it just depends what unfolds over the next 24 to 48 hours,” she said.
“We need to get used to living with this virus.
“We’re getting more and more people vaccinated, we’ve got great stats there, so as we get more people vaccinated, requirements to put restrictions in will diminish.
“We’re just at the cusp of between having to put in restrictions and having people vaccinated.”
Prior to Friday’s announcement, the most recent case was a doctor at the Princess Alexandra Hospital (PA) who contracted COVID-19 on March 12.
The doctor had treated a patient at the PA Hospital who was COVID-19 positive on March 10.
There have been seven new cases in the past 24 hours.
One of those is the 26-year-old man, with three from PNG and two from Ethiopia recorded in hotel quarantine and a historical case making up the other six.
Queensland Health Alert:
Anyone who visited the following venues is urged to get tested immediately, whether or not they are experiencing symptoms.
March 20:
Westfield Carindale Shopping Centre -1 1am
Baskin Robbins, Everton Park – 8pm
March 21:
Fresh food market, Gasworks at Newstead – 8am-9am
Mama’s Italian waterfront at Redcliffe – 12.30pm.
March 22:
Worked at Paddington, landscaping
Guzman and Gomez (drive-through), Stafford – 12.30pm
Bunnings, Stafford – 1pm
March 25:
Aldi, Stafford (10 minutes)
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