Queensland Health continues to “aggressively” contact trace and quarantine people linked to a COVID-19 outbreak at a hospital, as one new case is reported.

September 8, 2020

Queensland has recorded one new case of COVID-19 as health workers continue to “aggressively” contact trace people potentially exposed to the disease at a hospital.

A woman in her 20s is the latest person diagnosed with coronavirus as the number of active cases in the state fell by three to 25.

Health Minister Steven Miles said the woman recently returned from overseas and remains in supervised hotel quarantine.

He said 7660 people were tested for the virus in the 24 hours to Tuesday morning following an outbreak at Ipswich Hospital.

“Queensland Health continues to aggressively contact trace and quarantine close contacts to the latest cluster,” he told parliament.

A woman in her 30s was the fifth case linked with infected patients at the hospital on Monday.

More than 200 staff at the health facility west of Brisbane remain in isolation.

Virus clusters thought to be linked to two quarantine-dodging teens have now infected 85 people.

It comes as more than 200 people applied to cross the state’s borders to seek medical attention in Queensland.

Dr Miles said the border exemption hotline received 231 calls from patients in NSW and Victoria since its launch on Friday.

“The new team will provide a unique case-managed approach to those entering mandatory quarantine who have complex health needs,” he said.

“Every exemption request relating to medical needs will be assessed by a clinician.”

It follows the death of an unborn twin in northern NSW in late-August.

The child’s pregnant mother wanted to give birth in Brisbane but was told she would have to go into 14-day hotel quarantine under Queensland’s COVID-19 border rules.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young later granted an exemption but it came only after the expectant mother had waited 16 hours and then flown to Sydney.

The child became anaemic and died during birth.

Dr Miles said from June to August, Queensland’s hospitals treated more than 9700 interstate patients, with 75 per cent from NSW.