Jails In COVID-19 Lockdown

20170629 Police Station Opening — Prisoners will remain locked in their cells until Queensland Health advises otherwise

August 27, 2020

About 7000 Queensland prisoners have been locked in their cells after a Department of Corrections training officer tested positive to COVID-19 on Wednesday evening.

The Stage 4 lockdown means prisoners will stay in their cells and all social, personal and professional visits – including by legal representatives – will be banned until further notice.

Corrections staff will also have to wear PPE.

The lockdown affects all jails stretching from the Capricornia Correctional Centre at Rockhampton to centres in south-east Queensland, including Maryborough Correctional Centre.

The training officer lives at Forest Lake – one of the hotspot suburbs identified from the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre cluster – and works at Wacol in the QCS Academy.

He has not visited the Youth Detention Centre and it is not known where he was infected.

Fourteen recruits and 11 of his colleagues have all been tested and are now in self-isolation.

Queensland Corrective Services Commissioner Peter Martin told media on Thursday morning the lockdown was an extreme step but the Department was being overly cautious in line with Queensland Health advice.

“It is the least preferable way that we would do our business but we are incredibly alert to the fact that we are dealing with very, very difficult issues here … our first priority is for the safety and security of all those people in our custody and care, including our staffing group,” he said.

Commissioner Martin said Stage 4 would remain in place until Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young advised it was no longer required.

Officers and prisoners who present with flu-like symptoms – or who have come in close contact with suspected cases – will be tested.

Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young

Dr Young said the results of genomic testing had come back and they showed the virus strain from the Wacol cluster was only one nucleotide different from the strain involved in the Logan cluster.

However, this was not proof the two were linked as this strain was also the most common circulating in NSW and Victoria.

“We can’t say definitively that those two cases are linked, but we can’t say they are not,” she said.

Contract tracing was still being undertaken to see if there was any link between the two clusters.

There are currently 17 active COVID-19 cases in Queensland, including two reported since Wednesday.

The second person who tested positive is a Cairns resident who had returned from Papua New Guinea and is in quarantine.

Health Minister Dr Steven Miles said a total of 19,780 tests had been carried out during the past 24 hours, taking the total in the past two days to more than 40,000.

All the youth detainees at the Detention Centre have tested negative but Queensland Health is still awaiting a few results from staff.

*** * ***

A call went out on Thursday for more volunteers to take part in the next stage of clinical trials for the University of Queensland’s coronavirus vaccine.

On July 13, 120 volunteers aged between 18 and 55 were sought to take part in clinical trials.

Following positive results from this first stage of testing, UQ now has approval to extend Phase 1 one clinical trials.

The uni is now seeking 96 Queenslanders aged 56 and over: 48 volunteers between 56-65 years and 48 aged 66 years and over.

The vaccine development program is being supported by a $10 million investment from the State Government.

The Phase 1 trial is being conducted at Nucleus Network’s Brisbane clinic.

Participants are required to be in good health with any existing medical conditions stable for the past few months.

Project director Prof Trent Munro said early safety results had been positive, indicating the vaccine was generally well tolerated in healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 55.

Anyone who would like to participate can register with Nucleus Network online, or by calling 1800-243-733.

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The South Burnett Local Disaster Management Group (LDMG) has reminded residents there have been changes to COVID-19 restrictions across Queensland.

These changes relate to gatherings in homes, public spaces and premises not operating under an Industry COVID Safe Plan.

All businesses and planned events may continue to operate under previous protocols providing they have an approved COVID Safe Plan or Industry Safe Plan in place.

For further details, visit the Queensland Health website

Information for businesses about COVID Safe Plans is also available online

The LDMG has encouraged all South Burnett businesses to ensure their COVID Safe Plan is up to date and fully implemented at all times.

Government agencies will be performing spot checks for compliance on an ongoing basis and all businesses should be able to produce attendance records within one hour of request for information.

There are currently no active cases of COVID-19 in the South Burnett

Keep informed about the latest COVID-19 health advice at:

Queensland Health – www.health.qld.gov.au
Council’s website
Council’s Facebook page

South Burnett Regional Council reminds residents to follow the State Government messaging:

If you are sick, stay home
If you’re feeling unwell with symptoms of COVID-19, you should contact your doctor, phone 13 HEALTH (13-43-25-84) or contact your local hospital about being tested
Practice social distancing
Continue good hygiene practices

*** * ***

Contact Tracing Alerts – Brisbane Youth Detention Centre cluster

Queensland Health released an updated list on Thursday.

Anyone who has been to any of these locations at these times should monitor their health and, if they develop even the mildest of COVID-19 symptoms, get tested.

13 August – Australian Nails, Forest Lake Shopping Centre – 11:00am-noon
13 August – Forest Lake Shopping Centre – 11:00am-3:00pm
13 August – The Fig Tree Bakehouse, Forest Lake Shopping Centre – noon to unknown
13 August – Nandos, Forest Lake Shopping Centre – after noon to unknown
14 August – OfficeWorks, Browns Plains – 10:00am-10:10am
14 August – Coles, Browns Plains Grand Plaza – after 10:00am to before 11:00am
14 August – Ikea, Slacks Creek – 11:00am-2:00pm
14 August – Woolworths, Marsden on Fifth Shopping Centre – 11:15am-11:30am
14 August – Anytime Fitness, Village Square, Browns Plains – 2:20pm-3:30pm
14 August – Bunnings, Browns Plains – 2:30pm-3:00pm
14 August – Aldi, Forest Lake Village Shopping Centre – 4:00pm-4:30pm
14 August – Coles, Forest Lake Shopping Centre – 4:00pm-4:30pm
14 August – Forest Lake Tavern – 6:30pm-10:30pm
15 August – K-Mart, Browns Plains Grand Plaza – 9:30am-9:45am
15 August – Anytime Fitness, Village Square Browns Plains – 10:25am-11:35am
16 August – Woolworths, Marsden on Fifth Shopping Centre – 10:00am-10:15am
16 August – Coles, Browns Plains Grand Plaza – 10:30am-11:00am
16 August – 7-11 Service Station, Springfield – 12:10pm-12:15pm
16 August – Anytime Fitness, Village Square Browns Plains – 1:20pm-2:30pm
16 August – The Riverlink Shopping Centre, Ipswich – morning
16 August – The Reject Shop, Ipswich – morning
16 August – Jamaica Blue coffee shop, Ipswich – morning
16 August – Puma Fuel, Wacol – 4:00pm-4:10pm
17 August – Indooroopilly Shopping Centre – 11:00am-1:00pm
17 August – BUPA Indooroopilly – 11:00am-1:00pm
17 August – Origin Kebabs, Indooroopilly – 11:00am-1:00pm
17 August – Calamvale Central Shopping Centre – 1:30pm-2:00pm
17 August – Richlands Magistrates Courthouse – 12:15pm-12:30pm
17 August – Bendigo Bank, Elizabeth St Shopping Centre, Acacia Ridge – 12:45pm-12:55pm
17 August – Munch Inn Cafe, Elizabeth St Shopping Centre, Acacia Ridge – 1:00pm-1:10pm
17 August – Greenbank Takeaway – 6:30pm-6:40pm
17 August – Costco Bundamba Self-Service fuel station – afternoon
18 August – BCF Greenslopes – 12:30pm-1:00pm
18 August – The Rock and Roll Butcher, Logan Road, Greenslopes – 1:00pm to unknown
18 August – Chemist Warehouse (Waratah Drive) Crestmead – afternoon
18 August – Uncle Bill’s Takeaway, Brassall – 5:45pm-6:15pm
18 August – United Fuels, Springfield – 6:05pm-6:12pm
18 August – BP Wacol (cnr Boundary & Progress Rds) – evening
19 August – 12 RND Fitness, Birkdale – 8:00am-9:30am
19 August – Woolworths, Browns Plains Grand Plaza – 9:30am to unknown
19 August – The Jam Pantry, Greenslopes – 10:30am-11:45am
19 August – OfficeWorks, Ipswich – 11:00am-11:10am
19 August – The Red Cross Op Shop, Sherwood Rd, Sherwood – 12:30pm-1:00pm
19 August – Transport & Main Roads Service Centre, Sherwood – 12:30pm-1:00pm
19 August – Westfield Carindale Shopping Centre – 1:00pm-3:00pm
19 August – Indooroopilly Shopping Centre – 1:00pm-4:00pm
19 August – Myer, Indooroopilly – 1:00pm-4:00pm
19 August – David Jones, Indooroopilly – 1:00pm-4:00pm
19 August – Touch Of Indian, Indooroopilly – 1:00pm-4:00pm
19 August – Sweets From Heaven, Indooroopilly – 1:00pm-4:00pm
19 August – Bras’n’Things, Westfield Carindale – 1:00pm-3:00pm
19 August – Ghanda clothing, Westfield Carindale – 1:00pm-3:00pm
19 August – Myer, Westfield Carindale – 1:00pm-3:00pm
19 August – Newsagent, Sherwood Rd, Sherwood – 1:10pm-1:20pm
19 August – Baskin Robbins, Camp Hill Market Place – 5:30pm-5:40pm
19 August – Pho Inn, Camp Hill Market Place – 5:30pm-5:40pm
19 August – 7-11 Springfield – 7:30pm-7:35pm
19 August – Ipswich Hospital Emergency Department – 11:00pm-6:19am
20 August – Woolworths, Marsden on Fifth Shopping Centre – 10:00am-10:15am
20 August – USQ Campus Cafe, Springfield – 12:05pm-12:13pm
20 August – Coles, Forest Lake – 3:15pm-4:00pm
21 August – Woolworths, Forest Lake Shopping Centre – 10:30am-10:45am
21 August – The Chop Shop Butcher, Forest Lake Shopping Centre – 10:45am-11:15am
21 August – Best & Less, Forest Lake Shopping Centre – 10:45am-11:15am
21 August – The Orion Nail Bar, Springfield – 4:15pm-5:00pm
21 August – Sia’s Takeaway, Kingston Rd, Slacks Creek – 11:30am-11:45am
21 August – Graceville Netball Courts & Canteen, Faulkner Park, Graceville – 8:00am-10:15am
22 August – The Pet Barn, Browns Plains – 10:30am-10:45am
22 August – Bunnings Browns Plains – 10:45am-11:15am
22 August – The Good Guys, Browns Plains – 11:15am-11:35am
23 August – Coles, Forest Lake Shopping Centre – 5:00pm-5:15pm
24 August – The Good Guys, Oxley – 9:00am-9:45am
24 August – Woolworths, The Station, Oxley – 10:00am-10:30am