Townsville to enter three-day lockdown from this evening

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The local government area of Townsville, which includes Magnetic Island and Palm Island, will enter a three-day lockdown from 6pm tonight.

11 LGAs in south-east Queensland will also enter the three-day lockdown, which is expected to lift at 6pm Friday.

The directive comes after an unvaccinated hospital worker, who was potentially infectious in parts of the state for over a week, tested positive to the highly infectious COVID-19 delta variant.

The other community case was a miner in Ipswich, who had been in home quarantine.

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Two more positive cases have been detected in hotel quarantine.

While the Queensland Government is continually updating its list of exposure sites, Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young addressed media this morning with preliminary information.

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On Thursday the woman travelled from her home in Sandgate near Brisbane to Townsville and soon after Magnetic Island.

On Sunday she returned to Townsville and visited the markets before flying back to Brisbane that afternoon.

It's understood the woman visited the following locations in North Queensland while infectious:

• Virgin flight VA 369 from Brisbane to Townsville on Thursday June 24;
• Townsville Airport following her flight on Thursday June 24;
• Magnetic Island from midday Thursday June 24 to Sunday June 27;
• Townsville markets, Sunday morning June 27;
• Townsville Airport, in the afternoon on June 27;
• Virgin flight VA8374 from Townsville to Brisbane, Sunday June 27.

Tropic Now understands every resident of Magnetic Island is being asked to come forward and get tested, regardless of whether they have symptoms.

"At this point in time we can’t be definitive on how they got it," Dr Young said.   

"We should get genome sequencing by the end of today, early tomorrow at latest."

Anyone in the affected LGAs will only be permitted to leave their residence (which includes temporary accommodation) for the following four essential reasons;

• obtaining essential goods or services, including healthcare (including vaccinations)
• exercise
• attending essential work or childcare
• assisting vulnerable persons

Anyone who was in the affected LGAs on or since 6pm Tuesday 29 June 2021 is required to follow the same lockdown rules, even if they are no longer in those areas.

If you live outside South East Queensland, Townsville or Palm Island, you can transit through those areas without stopping.

Find further details on Townsville and south-east Queensland's three-day lockdown here.