Thousands queue as virus fears grow
Опубликованно 26.08.2020 20:46
Fears were sparked last week after an employee at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre continued to work for five shifts while infectious. There are now 10 cases linked to the centre – five staff and five detainees.
Despite ongoing fears, Queensland continues to record low numbers of coronavirus, reporting another zero daily increase today.
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Tuesday, 25 August – coronavirus cases in Queensland:• new confirmed cases• 18 active cases• 1,106 total confirmed cases• 797,314 tests conductedSadly, six Queenslanders with COVID-19 have died. 1,082 patients have recovered.#covid19au pic.twitter.com/voWc1Re2KS— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) August 25, 2020
However the encouragement to get tested has led to massive queues in parts of southeast Queensland, specifically in the hotspot areas flagged by health authorities.
Speaking to reporters today, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said health authorities had reduced the time between getting swabbed and getting your virus results to around 30 hours.
“That is because of the large volumes we are seeing, but it is wonderful news that we have had zero overnight cases,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“I thank you for your patience; there have been some queues.”
https://t.co/KAWIOHjqwz pic.twitter.com/H28vTjarxV— Jess Millward (@JessMillward9) August 24, 2020
Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said that while another day of zero cases was promising, “it’s still a bit too early” to be seeing any potential community transmission cases and encouraged Queenslanders to get out and get tested.
Queensland Health Minister Steve Miles said the state had processed 8059 tests in the last reporting period and apologised to anyone who had to wait a long time to get tested.
“I want to apologise to those who saw delays in getting testing, particularly at Redlands,” Mr Miles said.
“Today we will open a further fever clinic on the Bayside to hopefully relieve pressure on the Redlands.
“I emphasise, in terms of redeploying health resources from across the southeast first and foremost, we had to relieve a number of staff from the Ipswich Hospital emergency department who were potentially exposed there.
“We have also allocated significant resources to our hotel quarantine, which remain at near peak levels and that has impacted our ability to stand up many more fever clinics, but we have extended the hours of those that are operating.”
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Today, we opened a new fever clinic in Wynnum-Manly Community Health Centre (Gundu Pa) on the bayside to help ease delays at other fever clinics nearby, and opening hours will be extended for clinics that are already operating.— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) August 25, 2020
Queensland health authorities continue to investigate how the detention centre worker contracted coronavirus last week.
Today it was revealed the employee had the same strain as the young women who are accused of lying on their border declaration passes to leave Melbourne and make it back into Brisbane.
“Those early results indicate that the first case of the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre cluster had the same strain as one of the women who travelled to Melbourne, as well the diner at the restaurant thought to have acquired it from that person,” Mr Miles said.
“That doesn’t disprove the theory they are related and it doesn’t prove the theory either because that strain, the B1125 strain, is the most common strain currently circulating in Victoria, therefore there could be other sources of that strain here.”
Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: Dan Peled/NCA NewWire
Dr Young said Queensland health authorities were still looking for the missing link between the young women from Melbourne and the detention centre worker.
“There is a missing link between the two,” Dr Young said.
“That is why we are doing our absolute best to find every single case because the cases that we don’t find are the ones that can lead to chains of transmission. If we don’t find them then we can’t get on top of them and manage them.”
Queensland Health has 67 places on its public alert list, encouraging anyone who visited any of the locations to seek testing and isolate immediately if they have any coronavirus symptoms.
?? Public Health Alert ??We have expanded the list of venues where cases of the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre cluster visited.For an extensive list of locations, times and dates, please visit: https://t.co/xrF1h6fRFy pic.twitter.com/wHdBYlemRr— Queensland Health (@qldhealthnews) August 24, 2020
Категория: Женские новости