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Mayor Greg Williamson is in talks about a potential quarantine hub in the Mackay Whitsunday region to deliver desperately needed fruit pickers from overseas to work on farms.
Cr Williamson held a meeting with Whitsunday, Townsville and Cairns mayors on Monday to discuss the issue, with talks ongoing.
“All of the mayors – Whitsunday, Townsville and Cairns – we’re all concerned about making sure that we have enough facilities available, particularly in North Queensland, to get us through this hump,” he said.
“Because tomatoes, capsicum – all those things will be very expensive if we can’t get them off the fields.”
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A second Mackay resident has tested positive to COVID-19 this week, bringing the region’s total case tally to date to 18.
A Queensland Health spokeswoman said there were currently no active cases in Mackay however, a Mackay resident has tested positive for COVID-19 and is being treated in Brisbane.
“The confirmed case is a recent addition in Mackay’s total COVID-19 case count however, they have not been infectious in any community,” the spokeswoman said.
“It is likely that this patient is a returned overseas traveller and tested positive while in hotel quarantine.
“There is no reason for the Mackay community to be alarmed, this just goes to show how effective our hotel quarantine system is.”