Heading out to Kingaroy Airport to get tested for COVID-19? Enter via EDENVALE SOUTH ROAD only (Graphic: SBRC)

January 5, 2022

COVID-19 case numbers are exploding in Kingaroy with about 200 people now reported to have tested positive to the virus.

southburnett.com.au understands local councils were briefed on Wednesday afternoon that “in the order of 200” cases were now in Kingaroy alone.

This on top of positive cases in Murgon, Nanango and Cherbourg.

However, these latest figures are not yet reflected on the official Queensland Health website and probably won’t be until Thursday or Friday nights.

The blowout in Kingaroy numbers has prompted Cherbourg Council to recommend Cherbourg residents avoid travel to the Kingaroy area until further notice.

The Cherbourg Local Disaster Management Group was told on Wednesday that the majority of case numbers were in the 20- to 40-year-old age bracket.

Health authorities are particularly concerned about residents aged over 50 who are unvaccinated.

They warned that anyone over the age of 50 who is unvaccinated should take every precaution possible to protect themselves from COVID.

Because of the large number of people presenting at Kingaroy Hospital on Wednesday for COVID-19 tests, a decision was made to close this facility early on Wednesday.

It will re-open at Kingaroy Airport at 7:30am on Thursday and run until 3:30pm. Testing will not be available at the Kingaroy Hospital.

* * * 

Residents should only get a PCR test at the temporary, drive-through COVID-19 testing site at Kingaroy Airport if they meet the following criteria:

  • You have COVID-19 symptoms including fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose or loss of taste and smell, vomiting or nausea, diarrhoea;
  • You have completed a positive rapid antigen test (RAT);
  • You are a household contact, or household-like contact of someone who has tested COVID-19 positive, and you have symptoms OR if you cannot get a rapid antigen test.

Please enter the airport precinct via the Edenvale South Road entrance (see map, above).

Traffic will flow one-way through the testing site, exiting on to Kingaroy-Cooyar Road.

People have been advised to bring along a bottle of water, snacks, a phone charger and any medication they may need as the lines may be long; test results may also be delayed due to the volume now being handled by testing facilities across Queensland.

* * * 

Health officials have received reports of people breaching isolation directions by going into town to do shopping or other business.

They have warned that anyone breaking directions risks police prosecution.

* * * 

COVID restrictions have placed a strain on volunteer numbers at the Kingaroy Visitor Information Centre.

The Kingaroy VIC will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays for the rest of January.

* * * 

southburnett.com.au has been keeping track of some basic statistics for local Council areas since the re-opening of the State border on December 13.

These statistics, from Queensland Health, show the total number of confirmed positive cases per Local Government Area since the pandemic began in January 2020.

They are NOT the total of current ACTIVE cases but demonstrate how the virus has spread quickly throughout the local community.

We took snapshots on Dec 13, Dec 21 and daily since December 29.

The latest figures are current to 7:00pm on Tuesday (Jan 4):

  • South Burnett: 3 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 18 / 21 / 25 / 39 / 52 / 83
  • Cherbourg:  – / – / – / 3 / 12 / 21 / 30 / 51 / 61 / 71
  • Toowoomba: 52 / 56 / 233 / 312 / 368 / 396 / 463 / 579 / 665 / 751
  • Gympie: 7 / 6 / 23 / 26 / 38 / 43 / 48 / 68 / 82 / 104
  • North Burnett: 3 / 3 / 5 / 5 / 8 / 9 / 13 / 13 / 14 / 14
  • Somerset: 6 / 6 / 14 / 15 / 15 / 20 / 28 / 34 / 38 / 48
  • Western Downs: 3 / 3 / 16 / 18 / 23 / 30 / 36 / 48 / 52 / 60

NB. Data is reported by Queensland Health daily but can vary over time due to case reviews. When we took the first snapshots, Cherbourg LGA had not been added to the list by Qld Health as no cases had been recorded there. From December 31, data is current to 7:00pm the previous day.

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