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Unvaccinated teen among two new local Covid cases in Queensland

Alex DruceNCA NewsWire
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is urging the state to get vaccinated in time for the December 17 reopening of the border. NCA NewsWire / Jono Searle
Camera IconQueensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is urging the state to get vaccinated in time for the December 17 reopening of the border. NCA NewsWire / Jono Searle Credit: News Corp Australia

Queensland has recorded two new local Covid cases, one being an unvaccinated Gold Coast teenager who was a household contact of someone from NSW.

Investigations are now underway into whether the close contact entered Queensland illegally.

The other case was a woman from Melbourne in her 30s who tested positive in home quarantine. She is considered low-risk.

The 17-year-old from the Gold Coast tested positive overnight after presenting to the emergency department with a headache.

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A Gympie truck driver who visited Bundaberg has also tested positive interstate.

Tuesday’s update comes after a string of new exposure sites popped up across the state’s southeast corner. Queensland Health on Tuesday listed a men’s truck stop toilet at the Caboolture South Travel Centre as a close contact site from 8.50pm to 9.35pm on Saturday.

Fresh Fields FoodWorks Thabeban in Bundaberg was listed as a low-risk site at about 4pm on Saturday, while Graham Lusty Trailers at Crestmead, south of Brisbane, was a causal contact site last Thursday morning.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the new cases showed Queensland was not immune to the pandemic.

“We have contained dozens of outbreaks but, as NSW, Victoria, the ACT and New Zealand have discovered, it only takes one case to cause a massive outbreak,” she said.

“Our only protection is to get vaccinated … Because of the time it takes between doses, Queenslanders have just five days to get their first dose so that they can be fully vaccinated in time for Christmas when families can once again be reunited with loved ones.”

Ms Palaszczuk did however praise the state’s oldest residents for recognising the risk and getting the jab. An impressive 95 per cent of people aged over 70 in Queensland now have at least one shot, and 84 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Premier Presser
Camera IconQueensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the new cases. NCA NewsWire / Jono Searle Credit: News Corp Australia

That’s above the state’s 75.22 per cent one dose average, and the 60.7 per cent of Queenslanders who have received their second dose. The state is rushing to reach 80 per cent double dose by the time the borders open on December 17.

The update comes after a BP service station at Archerfield and a trailer business at Rocklea were listed as close contact sites on Sunday.

Another trailer business in Logan was listed as a new casual contact site, while a petrol station in Ipswich was identified as a low-risk contact point.

Tuesday’s Covid update from the floor of state parliament followed news an infected rideshare driver allegedly tried to leave his hospital room over the weekend.

Police were called to Gold Coast University Hospital following reports of a disturbance.

Duran Raman was allegedly found outside his room on Sunday despite being confined to it after testing positive to the virus last week.
Camera IconDuran Raman was allegedly found outside his room on Sunday despite being confined to it after testing positive to the virus last week. Credit: Supplied

Duran Raman was allegedly found outside his room on Sunday despite being confined to it after testing positive to the virus last week.

Deputy chief health officer Peter Aitken said the 36-year-old hadn’t left the ward.

“There’s no risk to the public, no risk to other patients and no risk to other staff,” he said on Monday.

“The situation is in control.”

Originally published as Unvaccinated teen among two new local Covid cases in Queensland

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