Passengers on two Virgin Australia flights in Queensland will be spending their Christmas holidays in self-isolation, after two planes were declared high risk Covid exposure sites.
Monday’s Virgin Australia flight VA1105 from Newcastle to Brisbane was declared a close contact exposure site by Queensland Health, just hours after the state’s hard border with New South Wales finally came down.
An infectious person then flew on a connecting flight from Brisbane to Townsville onboard flight VA375.
All passengers on both flights have been deemed close contacts and their mandatory 14 day isolation period in Queensland will see them spend their Christmas holidays locked away.
Monday’s Virgin Australia flight 1105 was declared a close contact exposure site by Queensland Health on Tuesday (stock image)
Parts of Brisbane Airport and a connecting flight to Townsville have also been listed as Covid exposure sites as information indicates an infectious person flew directly from Newcastle to Townsville onboard the flight VA375
Anyone at Brisbane Airport’s domestic departures terminal on Monday December 13 from 12.15pm to 2.05pm is a casual contact and should monitor for symptoms.
The case, which comes just a day after Queensland opened its borders to New South Wales, is believed to be linked to the cluster emerging from a Newcastle nightclub.
NSW authorities alleged a person on board an infected Sydney Harbour party boat broke quarantine orders to attend the club, where around 200 people caught the virus.
The Sydney Harbour Friday-night cruise was listed as an exposure site after it was revealed an attendee was infected with the ‘super-spreader’ Covid variant Omicron.
It is alleged that one of those attendees, who was meant to be in isolation, breached quarantine on December 8 to attend Argyle House nightclub in Newcastle.
All passengers on both flights have been deemed close contacts and will need to spend their Christmas holidays in self-isolation
Argyle House nightclub is now at the centre of an outbreak where testing is underway to see if Omicron is present.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said almost a third of the nightclub attendees have tested positive to Covid.
‘What we do know is that out of the 650 to 680 people, there are now more than 200 patrons positive who have COVID-19,’ he said.
Queensland has confirmed one new Omicron case but the person has been in quarantine after they travelled from Kenya.
The Sydney Harbour Friday-night cruise (above) was listed as an exposure site after it was revealed an attendee was infected with the ‘super spreader’ Covid variant Omicron
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