The Queensland government will force returned travellers from New South Wales into hotel quarantine if they visited a venue exposed to coronavirus.
NSW on Thursday introduced a raft of restrictions for Greater Sydney after the state recorded two local Covid infections, mysteriously traced back to a returned traveller from the U.S. who contracted an Indian strain of the virus.
The two cases, a married couple from Sydney s eastern suburbs, attended a string of venues across the city while potentially infectious, causing concern Covid could be circulating in the community.
Queensland responded on Thursday afternoon, with Health Minister Yvette D Ath announcing that anyone who arrives in the Sunshine State from 1am on Friday - and visited potential Covid exposure sites in Sydney - will be required to undergo hotel quarantine.
NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said she was concerned authorities had not yet identified the link between an infected man and a returned traveller who tested positive for Covid.
NSW has recorded two new community Covid infections in a husband and wife
Man s case was first reported on Wednesday and sent shockwaves through city
He has not returned from overseas and does not work in border control or health
His wife has now contracted virus, which is linked to returned traveller from U.S.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced a host of new restrictions on Thursday
Sydney Harbour.
Photo: AFP
Restrictions will apply until at least Monday and limit household guests to 20, make masks compulsory in indoor public venues and on public transport, and restrict aged care visitation to two people.
It comes after it emerged this afternoon that the wife of the first Covid-19 community case - a man in his 50s - had contracted the virus too.
The man from Sydney s eastern suburbs had not been overseas recently, and did not work in a hotel quarantine, border or health role, setting off alarms on how he contracted the virus in the community. Within two weeks, we ll know if the virus spread is growing or not, said Professor Raina MacIntyre, an expert in global biosecurity and infectious disease from the University of NSW.
A man from Sydney s eastern suburbs tested positive to Covid on Wednesday
The man, in his 50s, visited an optometrist located below a quarantine hotel
He has not been overseas of late and does not work in health or with the border
He was very active and visited string of venues on the weekend while infectious
Infectious disease expert said link between optometrist and hotel is possible