Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Possible India link to Qld COVID-19 case
Queensland Health is investigating if any community transmission has occurred after a woman, who returned from India two months ago, contracted coronavirus.
May 21, 2020
Health authorities are investigating how a woman who returned to Queensland from India two months ago contracted coronavirus.
The woman in her 70s was the only person to be diagnosed with COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the total number of infections in the state to 1058.
It comes as Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young again backed the government’s decision to block outsiders from coming to the Sunshine State, except on compassionate grounds.
This is despite pressure for a relaxation of border rules from the tourism industry, which has been bleeding money during the lockdown period.
“We need to hold firm and we need to manage our domestic borders very, very carefully,” Dr Young told reporters.
Dr Young said there is a slight chance the borders may open within two months, but that was unlikely.
“The very, very earliest, and only if everything went absolutely perfectly, we might be able to think about opening up our border in July,” she said.
“If the tourism industry wants a more realistic scenario they should be preparing for September.”
Travel restrictions within Queensland are slowly being eased, with trips of up to 150km now allowed.
Transport Minister Mark Bailey says there are no plans to limit capacity on buses, trains and ferries, with extra cleaning and cashless payment systems used to stop the spread of the virus.