No new virus cases in Queensland
The Australian International Islamic College's Carrara campus was closed after details of the family road trip to Victoria emerged. Photo: Google Maps
Queensland has not recorded any new cases of COVID-19 despite concerns about two infected truck drivers and a family accused of making an illegal trip to Victoria and back.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said it was tremendous news that the family of five from the Gold Coast had tested negative after their trip.
She said chief health officer Jeannette Young was also confident the risk from two truck drivers who were in Queensland while infectious was low.
Ms Palaszczuk also had good news for people waiting to get into Queensland after the state paused arrivals because the hotel quarantine system was overloaded.
“From Monday, we will [have] available 680 rooms,” she said on Friday.
Those rooms are on top of 50 that have already been opened up from Saturday. The people who will fill those rooms are being contacted.
“We did have that pressure cooker situation. Having that week of respite has been really good,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
The Gold Coast family accused of making the illegal trip to Victoria is now co-operating with authorities after initially refusing to be tested.
They will have to serve 14 days in quarantine despite returning negative tests. The test results have allowed a Carrara school attended by children in the family to reopen from Monday.
The family’s Melbourne road trip emerged only when two of the children told classmates about it earlier this week.
Principal Christine Harman confirmed late on Thursday that the school would be open again next week.
“Having conferenced with Queensland Health, they have deemed that there is no risk of exposure at our Carrara campus and the need for students and staff to isolate has been lifted,” she said in a statement.
There are still numerous COVID exposure sites in Queensland. They can be found here.
-with AAP