![]() "We have data from last year on the original strain, which showed that the virus can hang around for a few hours on some surfaces." "Obviously, in things like shared bathrooms, you're not going to be wearing your mask at those times, so there is certainly a possibility that this person will spread the virus. "People who are unvaccinated, their viral load in their nasal passages and upper airways is much higher than in vaccinated people, so they're much more likely to pass the virus on," Professor McMillan said. Professor McMillan said the COVID-positive truck driver detected yesterday posed a higher risk because he was unvaccinated. 'Unvaccinated people more likely to transmit virus' Mask-wearing restrictions have largely remained throughout the year, even after outbreaks ended, in what Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has dubbed Queensland's "best line of defence". The July/August lockdown - linked to the Indooroopilly State High School cluster - was the strictest the state has endured this year, with no visitors allowed in the home and face masks to be worn at all times. Thus far, health authorities and Queenslanders have braced for the possibility of the variant breaking out of containment. On three of those occasions, authorities were concerned by the elevated risks of the Delta variant, but the state has consistently avoided outbreaks on the scale of those experienced by New South Wales and Victoria. Greater Brisbane has already been in lockdown this year in January, March, June and July/August. Queensland authorities have moved quickly to impose lockdowns in previous outbreaks this year, but this time the move will be weighed against the knowledge that more than 64 per cent of eligible Queenslanders have received at least one dose of a vaccine.Ĭhief Health Officer Jeannette Young said she also expected the turnout at vaccination hubs to lift this week, in response to the latest cases. The fourth case, a woman who tested positive after completing 14 days in hotel quarantine, is also considered low risk. On Wednesday, authorities said a Gold Coast-based close contact of the aviation worker tested positive. Meanwhile, in the Moreton Bay Region to Brisbane's north, an Eatons Hill man and his wife also tested positive, but authorities are less concerned about these two cases as the man was fully vaccinated and was only infectious in the community for three days. Queensland Health added exposure sites on Tuesday afternoon, including close contact locations Hill Station Restaurant and Cafe (indoor only) and Brands Pharmacy, both in Spring Hill.Īuthorities yesterday declared COVID-19 vaccinations will be made mandatory for all freight truck drivers, with a first dose required by October 15 and a second dose or booking by November 15.Ĭatch up on the latest COVID-19 news here The truck driver spent four nights at Adalong Guesthouse, a shared accommodation facility in South Brisbane, as well as the Royal Albert Hotel in the CBD and The Metropolitan in Spring Hill. ![]() ![]() Griffith University infectious diseases expert Nigel McMillan said the number of cases resulting from an unvaccinated truck driver - who was infectious in Brisbane for up to eight days - will be the key factor in determining whether Greater Brisbane will face its fifth lockdown of the year.
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