End-of-year revellers are testing positive to COVID-19 after attending several major festivals and events across Brisbane, but Queensland Health has listed none as superspreader events.
From December 31, Queensland Health changed its contact-tracing notifications to only alert people to "major outbreak venues or superspreader events".
Olivia Tsianakas is one of thousands who attended an annual foam party at Eatons Hill Hotel on New Year's Day.
Double-vaccinated, she woke up the next day with a sore throat, headache, fatigue and a temperature.
"I know [Eatons Hill Hotel] posted a statement advising people of COVID from the foam party, but I do believe it should be listed as a superspreader event."
Ms Tsianakas is still waiting for the results of a PCR test after taking two rapid antigen tests, but said she had not heard anything from Queensland Health about the event.
More than 20 other foam party attendees have shared their positive test results, or symptoms, on a social media group crowdsourcing exposure sites.
Comiskey group director Rob Comiskey, who owns Eatons Hill Hotel and several other venues, said the foam party required proof of vaccination, use of the Queensland check-in app, and ID scanning for an extra level of protection.
Masks were handed out to anyone who wanted them, and spaces set aside at the two-acre site for people who wanted to attend but didn't want to be in the close contact of the dancing areas.
The hotel posted a notice on its social media on Tuesday advising people of numerous positive cases.
He said he had not heard anything from Queensland Health regarding the number of positive cases stemming from the event, but on a practical level the prevalence of COVID-19 now meant the "genie is out of the bottle" and "living with COVID" had become the reality.
He said his company had spent thousands of dollars bulk-buying rapid tests for staff to ensure employees could check their COVID status regularly as venues grappled with staff shortages.
COVID here to stay
Kate Milns, her partner and three friends all tested positive after attending Wildlands Weekender music festival at the Brisbane Showgrounds on December 26.
Festival attendees were required to be double-vaccinated and to check in. Wildlands recommended people wear face masks and social distance, and required everyone to complete a COVID-safe declaration before entering.
Ms Milns is now nearing the end of her seven-day quarantine period, managing her illness at home with remote support from Queensland Health.
She posted her positive status on social media after her mother noticed multiple others saying they had tested positive after the festival.
Ms Milns said she believed there should have been a quicker realisation that pre-Christmas events were reporting large numbers of cases, so that New Year's events could be notified of the likelihood of cases.
"Not even to define [upcoming events] as a superspreader event, but just to be like, 'This will probably eventuate in lots of COVID cases, so be wary'," she said.
She said that although the experience has put her off attending other large events in the near future, she recognised that COVID-19 was now here to stay and life would have to adjust.
A Queensland Health spokesperson said superspreader events, or gatherings that "spurred a large outbreak of COVID-19", were determined by local public health officials.
"Local public health officials will determine if a business or event may be added to the list of contact tracing locations because it has been considered a major outbreak venue or part of a superspreader event, and the general population needs to be made aware because attendees could not be contacted directly."
On Wednesday, Queensland recorded 6,781 cases, with warnings the real number was far higher.
Wildlands Festival has been contacted for comment.
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