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Qld lockdown unlikely after negative virus tests

Dr Young says the likelihood of another Qld lockdown is decreasing, but still not zero.

Dr Young says the likelihood of another Qld lockdown is decreasing, but still not zero.

Queensland authorities are increasingly hopeful of avoiding another lockdown as close contacts of the Beenleigh COVID-19 cluster test negative for the virus.

The state had no new local virus cases on Monday, and five that were overseas acquired and detected in hotel quarantine.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said a raft of negative tests from close contacts of a 46-year-old truck driver who spawned the Beenleigh cluster were reassuring.

The Beenleigh cluster numbers three cases. They are the truck driver and two of his contacts: A four-year-old girl, and the girl’s mother.

Chief health officer Jeannette Young said the risk of another lockdown is decreasing, but warned: “It’s still not zero.”

About 900 families are in home quarantine because the four-year-old girl attended the Boulevard Early Learning Centre in Mount Warren Park, which is also used for before and after school care for Windaroo State School students.

Dr Young said three staff and 17 children at the child care centre had all returned negative results. They will still have to complete two weeks in home quarantine.

Negative tests have also been returned by 34 of the 36 Windaroo State School students who attended before or after school care.

But the parents of the other two are refusing to have their daughters tested, Dr Young said.

“Until we get those … unfortunately those 900 or so families will need to remain in quarantine,” she said.

Authorities are still trying to identify three or four customers who were at the Stylish Nails salon at the Beenleigh Marketplace last Monday morning, at the same time the truck driver was there.

Dr Young said the salon manager, four staff, and four customers had all tested negative, and she believes they include the highest risk contacts.

“But unfortunately there are still three of four we can’t yet identify,” she said. “You are still a concern and it’s really important we get hold of you.”

-AAP

Topics: Queensland
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