Virgin Australia staffer tests positive to coronavirus and had contact with public
The airline will not reveal the staffer's job or location. Photo: AAP
Virgin Australia has confirmed that a staff member who tested positive for coronavirus had contact with the public as part of their job.
But the airline has refused to reveal whether the person is a cabin crew member or what city the person is based in, saying it has a duty to protect the person’s privacy.
A spokeswoman for the company told the ABC that health authorities are working to track down anyone deemed to be at risk from contact.
In a brief statement, Virgin Australia said the staff member had been placed in isolation and was receiving medical treatment.
“We have begun the process of determining the contacts of the team member during the time they would likely have been infectious and will be checking in on them regularly to check on their health,” the statement said.
The airline’s operational headquarters are in the Brisbane suburb of Bowen Hills and it has a maintenance base at Brisbane Airport.
It comes a day after Hollywood actor Tom Hanks revealed he and his wife Rita Wilson are in isolation in Gold Coast University Hospital after testing positive to COVID-19.
Hanks is in Australia to work on Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic, but production is now on hold and there are concerns productions across the country could soon be postponed or cancelled.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said on Friday morning four more coronavirus cases had been confirmed in Queensland overnight, taking the total number of cases in the state to 31.
Authorities have also estimated almost 3,000 people are in self-isolation at home.
Ms Palaszczuk is in Sydney for the Council of Australian Governments leaders conference, and told ABC Radio Brisbane they would be discussing when to call off mass public events.
“I think what the states are asking for is that we would like advice from all the health officers about what are some of those thresholds that will trigger a cancellation of events,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“There is a lot of community concern out there, we share the community concern but we need to have very clear advice from our health officials.”
–ABC
