Queensland residents who have visited a COVID-19 exposure site in another state must enter quarantine for 14 days, the state's health authorities announced.
Chief health officer Jeannette Young said the new rule aimed "to protect the health and safety of Queensland residents, and interstate travellers that come into Queensland".
The measure applies to Queensland residents who are returning from interstate exposure sites or who have already returned to the Sunshine State after visiting one.
READ MORE: COVID-19 positive passenger at Brisbane airport poses 'low risk' to community
Anyone who has entered Queensland and has been to an interstate exposure venue during the specified exposure period, will be ordered to quarantine for 14 days in government-organised accommodation.
Anyone already in Queensland and who has been to an interstate exposure venue during the specified exposure period, must call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) and explain their situation. They must immediately travel by private transport directly to their home or accommodation and quarantine until they receive further advice from state health authorities.
All people are encouraged to monitor the Queensland Health interstate exposure venue lists for 14 days after they arrive in the state to ensure no new venues have been added. This includes venues in New Zealand.
Interstate exposure sites are listed on each state health website.
Dr Young said anyone with symptoms, no matter how mild, should come forward and get tested immediately.
"Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, fatigue, diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting, and loss of taste or smell," she said.
"As we've seen over the past couple of weeks, we're still in this pandemic and we can't be complacent.
READ MORE: Tens of thousands allowed at AFL derby as WA eases COVID-19 restrictions
"It is critical we detect any cases that we may not be aware of as quickly as possible through our testing system."
Dr Young said yesterday the risk of infection was "very low" after man tested positive to COVID-19 after unwittingly entering the green zone at Brisbane International Airport on Thursday.
Two passengers from Papua New Guinea travelling on a red flight, who had initially both tested negative, were accidentally allowed to wander into the green zone at the airport for around two hours.
One man was later revealed to be positive to COVID-19, sparking fears he could have exposed hundreds of passengers to the virus.
Risk of transmission is highest in the 48 hours before someone develops symptoms, Dr Young said, and serology results indicated the man was at the end of his illness.
She said there were no COVID-19 "variants of concern" in PNG at the time.
"I can never, ever be 100 per cent confident that even when people have followed all processes that there isn't some remaining risk. But the remaining risk is very low."
Source: https://ift.tt/3e4Gz6v
Comments
Post a Comment