A popular country bakery, a shopping centre in Noosa and a Big W store are among a list of new COVID exposure sites in the region after a previously announced case had his infectious period revised.
Authorities said the sites related to the Brisbane man who had holidayed on the Sunshine Coast and visited Eumundi, Noosa and Sunshine Beach.
His symptoms have been revised to an earlier date, prompting a public health alert for seven new locations he had attended while possibly infectious.
“We are asking all Queenslanders to regularly monitor the list of exposure venues on the Queensland Health website and follow the public health advice,” said a Queensland Health statement.
“For these venues, anyone who has been to a venue within the identified timeframe should get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result. Also complete the contact tracing form on the website.
The new exposure sites are:
- Monday 28 June: Sunshine Beach Newsagency and General Store, 44 Duke St Sunshine Beach, 6.45pm to 6.50pm
- Tuesday 29 June: Kenilworth Country Bakery (donuts), 8 Elizabeth St Kenilworth, 10.10am to 10.45am
- Tuesday 29 June: BWS, Noosa Fair Shopping Centre, Shop 11, Noosa Fair Shopping Centre, Lanyana Way
- Tuesday 29 June: K Hub Junction Plaza (Toys and sports), Plaza Junction Shopping Centre, Cnr Noosa Drive & Sunshine Beach Road
- Tuesday 29 June: Big W Noosa Civic (Toys, Sports and self check out), 28 Eenie Creek Rd, 1.50pm to 2.05pm
- Wednesday 30 June: Eumundi Village Pharmacy, 1/2-6 Etheridge St, Eumundi, 9.33am to 9.42am
- Wednesday 30 June: Humdrum Espresso, 100 Memorial Dr, Eumundi, 9.45am to 10am
Contact tracing venues and flights can be found at www.health.qld.gov.au/tracing
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NSW lockdown extended
The lockdown of Greater Sydney and surrounds has been extended by at least two weeks, with the NSW premier saying newly-announced government support should cushion the financial blow.
NSW recorded 97 new local COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday and at least 31 of them were circulating in the community during part of all of their infectious period.
The stay-at-home provisions for people in Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour were scheduled to end on Friday but will now remain in place until at least midnight on July 30.
It means more than five million people will endure at least five weeks of lockdown.
The state’s schools will also continue with online learning with parents supervising their children’s home schooling.
Restriction settings across regional NSW remain unchanged.
It comes after the state and federal governments on Tuesday revealed an extensive multi-billion dollar financial support package.
The state government expanded a business grants program and will cut or defer payroll taxes for most companies, while workers who have lost eight or more hours a week as a result of the lockdown will be able to apply for up to $600 per week in federal support.
The increase in workers’ payments kicks in once a lockdown exceeds 21 days.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Wednesday that an extension to lockdown provisions was inevitable given the extent of COVID-19 spread in the community.
But the new financial support measures would help people avoid leaving home for non-essential reasons.
“Of course we want to see this lockdown end in a timely way, but no matter how long we need we will have that support for businesses and individuals,” Ms Berejiklian told reporters.
“The financial support measures in place are to prevent people from leaving home but we know that there is (still) essential work carried out.”
The National Retail Association said the cost of the five week lockdown would be $5 billion.
There are currently 20 COVID-19 patients in NSW in intensive care, with four ventilated.
Ms Berejiklian said the lockdown could end on July 30 as scheduled if all residents stay at home, but the modelling could not “predict what proportion of our population will stick to the rules”.
If this doesn’t occur, the lockdown may need to be extended again, she said.
There have been 864 locally acquired cases in NSW since June 16, when the first case in the Bondi cluster was reported.
-with AAP
