/Flight attendant who tested positive to COVID-19 crewed six flights in regional Queensland – ABC News

Flight attendant who tested positive to COVID-19 crewed six flights in regional Queensland – ABC News

A Qantas flight attendant is one of three new COVID-19 cases recorded in Queensland in the past 24 hours.

Acting Premier Steven Miles said the woman in her 30s, from the northern Brisbane suburb of Banyo, works for Qantas’ regional routes and is believed to have been infectious since July 11.

She came forward for testing two days ago and genomic sequencing has confirmed she has the Delta variant that is circulating in Sydney.

During her infectious period, the woman crewed six flights between Brisbane, Longreach, Hervey Bay and Gladstone.

Mr Miles said Queensland’s Regional Development Minister Glenn Butcher was on one of the flights between Brisbane and Gladstone.

Queensland COVID-19 snapshot:

He has been tested and was in home quarantine.

“Given this is some time ago, if we can get all of the passengers tested, that will give a picture of whether there is a greater risk here than we’re currently aware of,” Mr Miles said.

A number of potential exposure sites have been identified, including:

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said contact tracers are working with the woman to pinpoint where she had been after she developed symptoms on July 13.

She asked the public to check Queensland Health exposure venue website later today.

“Initially, she’s told us that she essentially stayed at home, so we are just working that through to check that is the case,” she said.

Dr Young said it was not known how the woman acquired the virus.

“We know that is a very contagious variant so that’s why I want everyone on those flights immediately tested,” she said.

Two other cases reported today were detected in hotel quarantine.

Border zone ‘at stake’ after COVID-19 detected in Byron Bay sewage

The announcement of the case comes after NSW Health detected fragments of the virus that causes COVID-19 at the sewage treatment plant at Bryon Bay.

The plant serves about 19,000 people in Byron Bay, Wategos, Suffolk Park, Sunrise and Broken Head.

Mr Miles said authorities were not aware of any cases in the region.

“But clearly, given the fact that Byron is within the border zone that we announced yesterday and implemented overnight, we will be monitoring that closely,” he said.

“It underlines how critical it is that people in that border zone only travel for those essential reasons that were outlined.

“What is at stake is the border zone itself.

“If we can’t keep that border zone safe, we won’t be able to keep those arrangements in place and people won’t be able to move.”

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