The partner of a Queensland cleaner who tested positive to the UK variant of Covid-19 has also tested positive, hours before a lockdown of greater Brisbane was lifted.
The Queensland chief health officer, Dr Jeannette Young, said the partner had been in quarantine since 7 January. She said it was likely that genome sequencing would confirm it was the second case of the UK variant detected in the Australian community.
Young said the result was unsurprising given the variant was more contagious.
“However, it highlights the importance of why the greater Brisbane lockdown was so important to ensure any potential spread of the virus is contained,” she said on Monday evening.
“This is a really important reminder to follow the advice we’ve been giving – socially distance, wear a mask when required and get tested if you have symptoms.”
Earlier, the Queensland government announced the three-day lockdown of greater Brisbane would indeed end at 6pm on Monday.
The Queensland health minister, Yvette D’Ath, warned greater Brisbane must “continue to be vigilant” with some restrictions remaining and mask requirements introduced.
“Globally, the virus is getting worse,” D’Ath said. “There’s been 19 million positive cases and over 1.9m deaths globally. But what is more concerning is the World Health Organization has reported that for the third week in a row, we have seen 4m new cases a week … things are getting worse globally, which is why we are seeing more positive cases coming back from overseas.”
The snap 72-hour lockdown for greater Brisbane was announced on Friday after health authorities learned a hotel quarantine cleaner had visited several community locations while infectious with a concerning strain of the virus known as B.1.1.7 – first identified by UK health authorities.
However, despite widespread testing, no other community-acquired cases were identified over the weekend. The Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said it meant the lockdown could end, but masks must be worn in indoor places including shopping centres, gyms and on public transport until 22 January by anyone who has been in greater Brisbane since 2 January.
Restrictions on visits to hospitals and aged care, and restrictions on the number of people allowed at indoor and outdoor gatherings and in hospitality venues will also remain until 22 January.
“We just want greater Brisbane for the next 10 days to all be part of this mask-wearing, and then hopefully we [continue to] get zero community transmission,” the premier said.
On Friday, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee issued an updated statement about the B.1.1.7 strain and another highly infectious strain known as B.1.351 that emerged in South Africa.
“However, there is still much not known about these viruses, including whether they result in cases being infectious for a longer period,” the statement said. “To date, there is no evidence that either of these variants cause more severe disease or that the current vaccines would not be effective against the new variants.”
From 7 January, additional precautions were put in place to manage people with either of the variants, including a longer minimum period of isolation and assessment of infectiousness by experts before release.
Meanwhile, three new locally acquired cases of Covid-19 were identified in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday in NSW. All three were linked to the Berala cluster and are close contacts of a previously reported case. There are now 26 cases associated with the Berala cluster.
A fourth case was identified after 8pm in a man who tested positive after attending the emergency department at Mount Druitt hospital overnight, and this case will be included in Tuesday’s numbers. The Mount Druitt case has yet to be linked to a cluster and investigations were continuing. The NSW chief health officer, Dr Kerry Chant, said the man, in his 40s, had household contacts who had also tested positive.
NSW Health said in a statement: “Urgent investigations and contact tracing are underway.”
“Anyone determined to be at risk of possible exposure is being contacted and advised to get tested and isolate,” the department said. “The Mount Druitt emergency department is undergoing deep cleaning and will shortly be operating as normal with support from staff throughout Western Sydney Local Health District.”
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, announced that from 5.59pm Monday, Victorians in regional NSW will be able to return home after applying for a permit.
Victoria had imposed a hard border with the entire NSW on New Year’s Day, leaving thousands stranded, but on Monday, Andrews said the risk in regional NSW would be downgraded.
However, greater Sydney was still considered a high risk “red zone”, he said, as he announced a traffic light system that will see Victoria designate regions of Australia as green, orange or red, depending on the coronavirus risk.
“I make no apology for doing everything I can to keep Victoria safe,” Andrews said.
Under the new system, travellers need to apply for a permit to enter Victoria from anywhere in Australia, except border communities in NSW where locals will need to have proof of their home address.
People who have visited a red zone in the past 14 days will not be allowed to enter Victoria without an exemption. An orange zone means travellers can apply for a permit and will need to take a coronavirus test within 72 hours after arriving in Victoria, isolating both before and after the test until a negative result is returned.
A green zone means people can apply for a permit and enter Victoria and will not have to test or isolate unless they develop symptoms.
Meanwhile, the WA premier, Mark McGowan, criticised the response of the NSW government to controlling the virus, calling on the states and territories to “crush and kill” the virus.
“There are five states and two territories doing one thing, and one state doing something different,” he said. “I go with the majority. The Queensland approach and the Victorian approach I think is the right approach. You need to eliminate the virus from Australia. The idea that you tick along with the virus and somehow that is a better model is wrong.”
Queensland has reported two days in a row with no community transmission and Victoria five.
“I just urge the New South Wales government and people in New South Wales to look outside of New South Wales to what other states and territories are doing in order to crush and kill the virus,” McGowan said on Monday. “That’s a better approach.”
