'Absolutely furious': Queensland teens with coronavirus 'lied' about trip to Victoria
The Queensland Premier has hit out at two teens who dodged quarantine after returning from Melbourne infected with the coronavirus after allegedly lying on a border declaration form.
The state announced two new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, both are 19-year-old women who travelled together from Melbourne to Brisbane via Sydney on July 21.
They travelled on Virgin flights VA 863 and VA 977.
It is believed the two women were active in the community for eight days before isolating.
“I’m absolutely furious that this has happened, that these two people have gone to Victoria and come back and have given two authorities misleading information,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told reporters.
The pair, from Acacia Ridge and Logan, are being treated in the Princess Alexandra Hospital.
“Now we have to act as a community,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“I urge people in those areas ... to please ensure that if you are feeling sick, you must go and get tested. It is incredibly important now more than ever.”
One of the women works at Parklands Christian College in Park Ridge and families have been notified of the potential exposure.
Shopping centres, restaurants, a school, and a church will shut while authorities scramble to conduct contact tracing.
Scores of the women's contacts will be forced to isolate, and aged care facilities in the Metro South Health region will re-enter lockdown as the state tries to avoid an outbreak.
"We need people to tell the truth. That's all I can say. This has been done to protect yourself as an individual, your family and the community," Queensland's Chief Health Officer Jeanette Young told reporters on Wednesday.
"I'm very, very disappointed. I think it was reckless."
"They've been out and about for eight days with symptoms."
Women could face jail time
State Disaster Co-ordinator and Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said the women should have been in quarantine.
"At this stage, the initial investigations indicate there are incorrect details on border decoration passes ... the investigation will look at whether that was deliberate or otherwise," he told reporters.
The teens could face thousands of dollars in fines or six months in jail if it is found they deliberately lied on their border declaration forms.
Sydney declared viral hotspot in Queensland
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told reporters on Wednesday, all of Greater Sydney will be considered a virus hotspot from Saturday 1am.
“We have done this to ensure that we give notice to Queenslanders that might want to return home,” the premier said.
When Ms Berejiklian was asked what she thought about Queensland’s declaration she said it was a matter for its state government.
“That’s a matter for them,” she said.
“It would have been nice if she had told me.”
She added she’s confident it won’t affect NSW’s economy.
with AAP
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