Queensland has recorded no new coronavirus cases as people in Townsville are urged to get tested after traces of the virus were found in local sewage.

October 11, 2020

Queensland has recorded no new COVID-19 cases as health authorities ramp up testing in Townsville after traces of the virus were detected in local sewage.

Testing of wastewater turned up traces of coronavirus for the first time on Saturday, with authorities saying it was a concerning development.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles said health officials had tested more than 100 people in the northern city over the weekend.

“We’d like to see more people get tested (and) continue to urge people in Townsville to go and get tested,” he told reporters on Sunday

“We will continue to test the wastewater and hopefully we get a negative result and it’s all clear.”

Mr Miles previously said Townsville Hospital and health officials would increase testing rates in a bid to work out if there was a case or cases in and around Townsville.

Queensland Health completed more than 2400 COVID-19 tests across the state in the 24 hours to Sunday morning.

Four cases remain active, with just three new cases recorded in the past fortnight.

Mr Miles said it had been more than 160 days since Townsville had recorded a case of community-transmitted coronavirus.

“That’s the reason we’re concerned,” he said.

Mr Miles said it was possible the positive result had come from someone shedding inactive coronavirus after they had recovered.

Or it could be someone with an old infection who had passed through the city.

Asked if Queensland would open its border to NSW on November 1, Mr Miles said the “whole situation” would be reviewed at the end of the month.

“We’re seeing new cases every day in NSW from their clusters … that’s precisely why we’ve tried to avoid day to day commentary,” he said.

“It’s important for us to wait, get close to the end of the month (and) let the chief health officer look at all of the available information for the previous 28 days.

“Nothing we do in this pandemic is locked in.”