The infected woman who put Queensland on alert for a new outbreak went to Sunshine Coast University Hospital to get a COVID-19 test but was turned away, health sources told sunshinecoastnews.com.au.
The woman, aged in her 50s, visited at least nine locations on the Coast and in Brisbane before her diagnosis, sparking a contact-tracing frenzy.
Health sources revealed she attended the region’s biggest hospital – the $1.8 billion SCUH – as she was feeling extremely unwell and wanted to get a test.
However, the sources said because it was “outside hours’’, which were 8am-4.30pm, she was turned away.
It is understood she had arrived between 4.30 and 5pm.
The sources said they were angry as a massive opportunity to avert the potential crisis had been lost.
A spokesperson for Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service said the incident had prompted the hospital to review and change its practice of sending people away after hours.
“Staff at the Emergency Department followed the SCUH process at the time, referring asymptomatic patients to a dedicated fever clinic for testing,” the spokesperson said.
“We’ve now reviewed and updated that process.
“There are fever clinics at Caloundra, Nambour, Gympie and Birtinya (car park 2 at Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital).”
Queensland Health infection control guidelines state that “Hospital and Health Services (HHS) should have in place systems to rapidly assess and manage symptomatic people for COVID-19’’.
“Depending on demand and capacity, this may be through current emergency department procedures or through special assessment areas (fever clinics).’’
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One of the other Sunshine Coast venues the infected woman visited – Hungry Jacks at Kawana – was closed Saturday while management arranged a deep clean.
A sign has gone up on the drive-through and main entry alerting patrons to the temporary closure.
Staff were seen in the premises Saturday wearing masks.
Queensland Health issued a public health alert over the woman’s movements after Qld’s chief medical officer Dr Jeanette Young earlier assured the public the woman had only made contact with one receptionist at a Sunshine Coast hotel during her overnight stay.
The woman from Sydney’s northern beaches drove a Hertz rental car to the Coast from Brisbane on Wednesday.
She was at Sunshine Coast University Hospital on Wednesday evening and afterwards went to Hungry Jacks at Kawana.
She spent Wednesday night at the Kawana Waters Nightcap Hotel in Buddina and on Thursday morning went to the Coles Express at Mooloolaba.
That day she returned by car to Brisbane and went back to Sydney.
While emphasising that the threat to the public was low, Qld Health on Friday afternoon urged anyone who had been to the following locations at certain times to check for symptoms:
Wednesday 16 December:
- Sunshine Coast University Hospital Birtinya 5.00pm to 8.30pm
- Hungry Jacks Kawana Waters 8.00pm to 10.00pm
Thursday 17 December
- Kawana Waters Nightcap Hotel Buddina 9.00pm 7.00am
- Coles Express Mooloolaba 7.00am 7.30 am
Alerts have also been expanded for Brisbane where the woman flew to from Sydney on Virgin flight VA925 on Wednesday 16 December 2020, landing at 9am.
They include:
Wednesday 16 December
- Brisbane Domestic Airport 9.00am to 9.54am
- Hertz Car Rental, 1980 Sandgate Road Boondall 10.00am to 10.30am
- The Glen Hotel New Eight Mile Plains 11.00am to 2.30pm
Thursday 17 December
- Hertz Car Rental, 1980 Sandgate Road Boondall 8.30am to 9.00am
- The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH) Fever clinic Chermside 10.19am to 10.26am
Earlier
Chief Health officer Dr Jeannette Young said she was infectious for two days while in southeast Queensland, and asymptomatic.
Dr Young said the woman flew to Brisbane from Sydney on Wednesday on Virgin Australia flight VA 925, arriving at 9:30am.
Passengers seated in rows 7, 8, 9, 10 or 11 are required to get tested and quarantine for 14 days from Wednesday 16 December.
Dr Young said she then hired a car and drove to the Glen Hotel in Eight Mile Plains where she had lunch. Anyone who was at the hotel after 11.30am that day is urged to check for symptoms and get tested.
After lunch the woman drove to the Sunshine Coast where she stayed one night and interacted only with the receptionist.
Contact tracing is underway but Dr Young said the woman had not had interactions with any other people on the Coast.
After staying overnight the woman drove through Brisbane back to Sydney.
She stopped at the Prince Charles Hospital where she was tested for the coronavirus.
Sydney’s alarming northern beaches cluster grew to 28 confirmed cases on Friday, with 10 new cases overnight.
The well-heeled peninsula has entered a quasi-lockdown as residents were told to stay home and not leave the area for the next three days.
Genomic sequencing has traced the worsening outbreak to a US strain of the virus which may have entered NSW in early December in a returned traveller.
That traveller has never left the hotel quarantine system, meaning the connection between that case and the northern beaches remains unclear.
The growing cluster a week out from Christmas has thrown a spanner in the works of people’s travel plans as most states imposed restrictions on people coming from the northern beaches.
There are reports of panic at Sydney’s airport over fears borders could be closed.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged people to remain calm and follow health advice.
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said a major virus seeding event had occurred at Avalon RSL on December 11, followed by a similarly significant seeding event at Avalon Bowlo on December 13.
Of the 28-strong cluster, eight people attended the Avalon RSL, 16 were at Avalon Bowlo and two were at both. The final two cases were also connected to those venues.
The Northern Beaches area of NSW has been declared a hotspot from 1am Saturday 19 December following the latest COVID-19 outbreak. #covid19au pic.twitter.com/smx9mRPSyb
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) December 18, 2020
NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian said that from Tuesday all international air crew arriving in Sydney would be held at two quarantine hotels until their flight back out of the country, typically within 72 hours.
Ms Berejiklian admitted airlines were currently in charge of ensuring air crew quarantine compliance, but NSW Police would take over.
“The issue is not the guidelines we have in place, it is unfortunately a few occasions where people breached the guidelines or actually chose not to self-isolate when they should have,” Ms Berejiklian said.
On Thursday evening, WA’s premier Mark McGowan ordered anyone entering his state from NSW or anyone who has entered from NSW since December 11 to self-isolate for 14 days.
Northern Territory authorities said anyone from Sydney’s Northern Beaches Council area travelling to the NT will need to undertake 14 days of mandatory, supervised quarantine in either Alice Springs or Darwin.
Tasmania elected on Thursday to ban entry to anyone who had visited the almost 30 venues on NSW’s health alert list.
Victoria told entrants to the state from the northern beaches that they must get tested and quarantine in their home or accommodation for 14 days.
Hotspot declaration
Queensland has declared Sydney’s northern beaches a virus hotspot which means:
• Anyone who was in the Northern Beaches region since Friday 11 December 2020 and is already in Queensland should get tested and quarantine in their home or accommodation for 14 days from the date they left the Northern Beaches.
• Anyone who was in the Northern Beaches region who arrives in Queensland after 1am on Saturday 19 December 2020 must go into hotel quarantine at their own expense for 14 days from the date they left the Northern Beaches, and get tested.
This includes both interstate visitors and Queensland residents returning home.
Police will conduct checks on all airport arrivals and random checks on road borders.
-with AAP
