Just weeks after Queensland's central west was placed on COVID alert when a flight attendant who'd crewed a flight to Longreach tested positive to the Delta strain of the virus, the tiny town of Bedourie in the state's far west has had its own coronavirus scare.
According to Diamantina Shire Council mayor Rob Dare, three Ergon Energy staff were required to isolate in their accommodation in the town after taking a taxi ride to the Cairns Airport last Friday, where they caught a flight to Bedourie to undertake some work.
"Cairns wasn't locked down when they left, it was only when they were in Bedourie that they heard they had to isolate and get tested," Cr Dare said on Tuesday.
"The clinic here tested them and then they had to stay in their rooms until the rapid test results came back clear from Mount Isa last night."
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Cr Dare said two local staff who had cleaned the motel rooms, plus the son of one of those, had also had to isolate and get tested.
"We would take meals over to the Ergon men and ring and let them know it was there," he said. "They were all very good about the whole thing."
An Ergon Energy spokeswoman said the health, safety and wellbeing of their people and the communities they served was paramount.
"We will always follow the advice of Queensland Health," she said.
Cr Dare said the incident had everyone worried in the town of 120 people.
"It shows you how easily things like this could happen, and spread out here," he said.
He believed the community had responded positively to the call to vaccinate, saying he was one of 64 attending the RFDS clinic that was held.
READ MORE: Vaccination call as regional flight cleared
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