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Two new Delta outbreaks in Qld, as border shuts

Queensland has declared Victoria a hotspot.

Queensland has declared Victoria a hotspot. Photo: Getty

Queensland has confirmed two outbreaks of the highly infectious Delta strain of the coronavirus in its south-east.

The state had one new local COVID infection on Friday, the mother of a 12-year-old boy who spent time in the US and completed quarantine in Sydney before flying home to Brisbane.

She’d been in hospital with her son since he tested positive and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said there was no risk to the community. The boy’s father has also tested positive.

The family has been confirmed to have the Delta strain that is circulating in Sydney and has sent that city into lockdown.

Ms Palaszczuk said the sole case reported on Friday was fantastic news, and just what authorities were hoping for.

Chief health officer Jeannette Young said NSW authorities would have to determine how the 12-year-old boy who brought the virus to Brisbane became infected during quarantine.

Dr Young said 62 contacts of the family had been identified.

She is still to try to determine the source of a third case that was reported on Thursday, involving a woman who works as a supervisor at a boarding gate at the Brisbane International Airport.

Whole matches have yet to be found via genomic sequencing so the source of that infection remains a mystery. It is, however, the Delta strain of the virus.

So far 45 close and casual contacts of that airport worker have been identified. They are being monitored and are isolating.

Dr Young said tests had confirmed the family of three and the airport worker were new outbreaks. They are not linked to any of the outbreaks that sent south-east Queensland and Townsville into a snap three-day lockdown just over a fortnight ago.

“I’m quite convinced that we have today in Queensland two new outbreaks. They are not related to all of the other outbreaks that we were dealing with,” she said.

Mask rules and other restrictions will remain across south-east Queensland for at least another week.

Meanwhile, the state will close its border to people from Victoria from 1am Saturday, as a coronavirus outbreak continues to spread in the southern state.

“Anyone returning after that time will have to do 14 days of mandatory quarantine,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“Do not go to NSW, do not go to Victoria during this period.”

She said Queensland had no choice but to declare Victoria a hotspot, due to the worsening situation there. Victoria reported 10 more local virus cases on Friday as it began a five-day lockdown.

Queensland has 48 active COVID cases.

-with AAP

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