Victoria has lifted its two-week lockdown in the capital city of Melbourne with the outbreak relatively under control, while results from a COVID-infected couple’s contacts are still outstanding in the state of Queensland.
The pair were confirmed to be infected in Queensland after they left Victoria on June 1, four days after a statewide lockdown, and traveled by car through regional New South Wales, NSW, into Queensland when stopping at multiple venues along the way.
Although no new cases of the virus were recorded in both NSW and Queensland overnight, Queensland Chief Health Officer, Jeannette Young, told local media that they identified 316 close contacts and only 41 results returned so far and tested negative.
According to the health officer, 959 people have notified Queensland Health that they had been to one of the “close contact’’ or “casual contact’’ exposure venues, with up to 402 of those considered close contacts.
Queensland Deputy Police commissioner, Steve Gollschewski, said police were still waiting to interview the Victorian couple who were currently in isolation at a local hospital but would have to wait until it was safe to do so.
Mr Gollschewski revealed that five new people were caught trying to illegally enter Queensland after being in Victoria when police randomly checked more than 3,340 vehicles.
From Friday, Victorians from regional parts of the state will be permitted to enter Queensland, pending declarations, but those in metropolitan Melbourne are banned without an exemption from the state’s health department.
Xinhua/NAN
