'Concerned as I've ever been': Queensland records three new Covid cases
Queensland has recorded three new local Covid cases all linked to an outbreak at a Portuguese restaurant.
One other new infection is in hotel quarantine, the state's chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said during a media conference.
The three community cases are all linked to the Portuguese flight attendant who became infected during a two-week stint in hotel quarantine before briefly spending time in Brisbane. She was released before she tested positive.
One of the new cases is the manager of the Portuguese Family Centre, a restaurant where the woman visited.
He had been in home quarantine before testing positive.
The other two were travelling with the flight attendant when she was out in Brisbane, and have been in hotel quarantine during their infectious period.
There have now been four cases linked to the flight attendant after a man who visited the family centre tested positive earlier this week. Others who were at the centre - 36 in all - are continuing to isolate and are being monitored.
'As concerned as I've ever been'
Dr Young explained that the Covid variant seen in the new cases is the Alpha, not the more infectious Delta strain that is spreading quickly across Sydney, which has caused her concern.
"I'm as concerned, much like Minister Hazzard, as I've ever been," she said.
"I'm so grateful that this variant wasn't the first variant we had to deal with," she said, adding that the state has good procedures in place.
"We'll have to draw on all of that strength and resilience going forward."
The highly contagious Delta variant can be passed through fleeting contact.
Th Bondi cluster’s growth to 31 cases on Wednesday prompted Queensland to close its borders toGreater Sydney and the surrounding regions of the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour.
NSW saw another 11 new local infections recorded on Thursday.
With AAP
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.
