Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Health
Marty Silk

Qld records six cases, two likely Omicron

Most passengers on the infected man's flights will be considered casual contacts, Yvette D'Ath says. (AAP)

Queensland has recorded six new locally-acquired cases of COVID-19, with two being treated as the Omicron variant.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath says the six cases emerged after 12,336 tests in the 24 hours to 6.30am on Wednesday.

The new cases are in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Wide Bay, Goondiwindi and Townsville.

Two of those cases are being treated as the Omicron variant because both people have visited the NSW city of Newcastle in the last week.

One is man who visited the Argyle House nightclub in Newcastle, which is an exposure site, while another was in the city before flying to Brisbane and then onto Townsville on Monday.

"We are certainly treating them as if they are Omicron," Ms D'Ath told reporters on Wednesday.

The minister said most passengers who were with the man on Virgin Airlines flight 1105 from Newcastle to Brisbane then on flight 375 from Brisbane to Townsville on Monday afternoon would be reclassified as casual contacts.

They had initially been classified as close contacts, putting them at risk of being in quarantine over Christmas.

But Ms D'Ath said that decision was just a precaution and most people would be reclassified later on Wednesday.

"We don't need to wait until we get the findings of whether it's Omicron because if it is we still will apply these rules," she said.

"That means that other than those people who will be directly advised they are close contacts because they were either part of the travelling party or sitting immediately around this individual.

"The remainder of the passengers will be deemed to be casual contacts."

Meanwhile, a number of people in the southern Queensland border town of Goondiwindi could also be ordered into 14 days' isolation after a known case visited three venues.

The gaming lounges at both the O'Shea's Royal Hotel and the Victoria Hotel have been listed as close contact exposure sites for Monday afternoon, along with McDonald's Goondiwindi on the Cunningham Highway for Tuesday morning.

Queensland has also reclassified one virus case in hotel quarantine as Omicron on Wednesday.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.