Parts of Queensland will go into a three-day lockdown after an unvaccinated hospital worker, who was potentially infectious in parts of the state for over a week, tested positive for COVID-19.

Queensland COVID-19 snapshot:

South-east Queensland, Townsville city, Magnetic Island and Palm Island will go into lockdown for three days from 6:00pm today, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

“We’ve had two extensive meetings this morning about this. We have to take the advice of Dr Young. I’ve accepted that advice,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

The south-east Queensland lockdown local government areas include the 11 which had restrictions and mask orders imposed this morning: Brisbane, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Noosa, Redlands, Moreton, Somerset and Logan.

Townsville, Palm Island and Magnetic Island in north Queensland will also be part of the lockdown order.

It is expected the lockdown will lift at 6:00pm on Friday.

Hospital worker unvaccinated

One of the community cases is an unvaccinated 19-year-old clerical worker from the Prince Charles Hospital.

Facebook: The Prince Charles Hospital

Ms Palaszczuk said a Queensland Health directive meant people working in a COVID-19 ward should be vaccinated. 

It was understood the woman worked just outside the ward.

“For some reason, she wasn’t vaccinated, so there will be a full investigation into that,” she said.

“Despite the health directives that she should have been vaccinated, she was not,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“Let me say, I am absolutely furious about this.”

Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the woman was employed as a concierge in the part of the hospital where the COVID ward is. 

“So far we have contact traced [that] she had interaction with two other concierge workers, and that was the service she was providing, and one janitor,” she said.

“It’s quite separate to the rest of Prince Charles Hospital, so the rest of the hospital shouldn’t be at risk.”

She said the information was still preliminary at this stage. 

Last week the woman travelled from her home in Sandgate near Brisbane to Magnetic Island and on Sunday visited the markets in Townsville.

The Premier said fever clinics would be set up on Magnetic Island and in Townsville.

Dr Young said genome sequencing results for the woman should be available tonight. 

“This particular individual worked as a casual and they sat outside the COVID ward at the Prince Charles Hospital, so there might be a link there but genome sequencing will tell me what’s occurred, and where that risk is,” Dr Young said.

Dr Young said the woman developed symptoms last Monday and was infectious from 7:00am from Saturday June 19.

Dr Young said the woman visited the following places:

Two others who live with her as well as a friend are unwell and have been tested with results pending.

The other community case was a miner in Ipswich, who had been in home quarantine.

Two more cases of the virus were detected in hotel quarantine.

There have been 15,000 tests in the past day.

Travel restrictions announced for travellers from WA, NT

Health Minister Yvette D’ath has also announced travel restrictions for Perth and the Peel region of Western Australia as well as Darwin, Palmerston and Litchfield in the Northern Territory.

“So from 1:00am tomorrow morning you will only be able to come into Queensland if you are a Queensland resident from any of those hotspots and you will need to go into hotel quarantine,” she said.

“For anyone who is not a Queensland resident, you will need to apply for an exemption, and if you are granted an exemption, you will need to go into hotel quarantine.

“That will stay in place while those states have those declared hotspots.”

Here’s the latest on the spread of COVID-19 in Australia:

Queensland’s Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the COVID-19 cases emerging across Queensland demonstrated international arrivals were an issue.

“Our international borders are supposed to be closed but every week thousands of people are allowed to travel,” Mr Miles said.

He said 121 people arrived from overseas into Queensland yesterday and another 190 were expected today.

“These are putting our community at an unacceptable risk, especially with these new strains which cannot be contained,” he said.