Coronavirus outbreak in Queensland leads to border closure calls

Two women from south-east Queensland, 19, tested positive for the disease on July 28, after they returned from Victoria, on flights via Sydney.

This afternoon it was confirmed another woman, 22, who was a close contact of one of the travellers, had also tested positive to COVID-19.

It is understood the 19-year-olds had flown back to Brisbane from Victoria on July 21, and had 'falsified' their border pass documents to get out of 14 days of mandatory hotel quarantine.

Instead, they carried on with their daily lives, working at schools and visiting health facilities, shopping centres and eateries.

Queensland Health put out an urgent public health alert this afternoon after the third woman was diagnosed.

They are urging community members on Brisbane's southside to remain alert to the threat.

The first 19-year-old woman is an employee at Parklands Christian College on Brisbane's southside, which is closed until further notice.

The 22-year-old woman, who tested positive later today is an employee of YMCA Chatswood Hills Outside School Hours Care, which has also closed.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said contact tracing was underway, and appropriate action had been taken at all relevant locations.

"Contact tracing is underway on all new cases," Dr Young said.

"While we are still determining where the virus may have been acquired, we are working closely with these women to gather necessary information, including other places they may have visited whilst infectious.

"As always, we strongly recommend everyone with symptoms, particularly people who have travelled interstate recently, to immediately get tested. Vigilance is key to keeping community transmission out of Queensland.

"Therefore, if you live in the areas of Logan, South Brisbane or Springfield and are feeling unwell please stay home and immediately get tested."

Queensland Health listed locations the women had visited and asked anyone who had been on the relevant dates to immediately self-quarantine and contact 13 HEALTH.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today announced millions of residents from Greater Sydney would no longer be welcome in Queensland amid a spike in cases in NSW.

Residents from 34 local government areas around Sydney will be banned from Saturday, August 1, along with Victorians who remain banned from entering the state.

But Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto said the measures were not strong enough and queried what the 'trigger point' was for closing Queensland's borders again.

Mr Dametto said there was "growing distress" among residents about a second wave of COVID-19 pushing into Queensland with the border remaining open.

"There are now several declared virus hotspots in New South Wales and I think it's time for the premier to reveal to Queenslanders at what point she will slam the border shut," he said.

"Hinchinbrook residents have expressed concern. Anecdotally, I've had residents report to me about conversations overheard from Victorian visitors to our region bragging about how easy it was to cross the border through our state's western back roads.

"This needs to be addressed immediately and while I understand that it is almost an impossible task to manage every possible entrance into Queensland, shutting the border would help control who is and isn't supposed to be in our state right now.

"Unfortunately, our state's willingness to reopen our border to New South Wales has encouraged selfish visitors from Victoria and known hotspots in New South Wales to flaunt our rules which puts Queenslanders' health and our economy at grave risk."