Advertisement

Coronavirus fears for up to 40 people after Gold Coast salon worker contracts disease

Customers of a Gold Coast hair and beauty salon are being urged to contact authorities after an employee became the ninth Queenslander to contract coronavirus.

The 63-year-old woman saw up to 40 people on Thursday before she started to feel unwell and went home.

The woman is currently in isolation at the Gold Coast University Hospital and Queensland Health confirmed the woman had recently returned from Iran, which has the highest morality rate outside of China.

"She's a highly intelligent, very sensible lady, so as soon as she had her first symptom she spoke to her manager and she went home," Queensland's chief medical officer Dr Jeannette Young said.

“Then she went to Gold Coast University Hospital and got tested.”

The 63-year-old woman worked at a hair salon at Australia Fair in Queensland. Source: Google Maps
The 63-year-old woman worked at a hair salon at Australia Fair in Queensland. Source: Google Maps

Dr Young said the woman had done everything perfectly.

Dr Young said there was an “incredibly low" risk she had passed on the virus, but urged anyone who attended the Hair Plus salon at Australia Fair at Southport from 11am to come forward.

"She saw a number of clients each for brief interactions, so we believe the risk is incredibly low," Dr Young said.

People who visited Australia Fair on Thursday should not be concerned if they did not go into the salon.

Queensland Health said contact tracing is now underway.

Health minister Steven Miles also reassured Queenslanders the Covid-19 virus remained contained across the state, despite the latest development.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.