NSW on alert after two Queensland COVID cases visited Byron Bay while infectious

Four new cases of coronavirus were revealed in Queensland on Monday, including two who travelled to Byron Bay while infectious.

NSW is now on alert after the two people crossed the border during their infectious period, as health officials race to contact 20,000 people who recently arrived in NSW from the sunny state.

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she will be making a phone call to the NSW health minister Brad Hazzard on Monday to discuss the two people who travelled to popular holiday spot.

“We have to act swiftly, ”she said.

“Can I just remind people again … no matter where you are in Queensland or if you have been travelling in Queensland since Saturday March 20, and you have been in greater Brisbane, if you have any symptoms whatsoever, please get tested.”

Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said the department is still unsure about the dates in which the cases were in Byron Bay.

“I’ll be letting NSW know as soon as we’ve got that (information),” she said.

She said she’s waiting on genomic sequencing to determine how the cases are linked to other infections, noting the community transmission is of concern.

“We now have significant community transmission and significant numbers of venues of concern all through Brisbane and we know that people have moved from Brisbane out into the broader community,” she said.

Of the four new cases, two were connected to the existing cluster, announced last week.

“They were work colleagues,” Dr Young said.

However, the other two who visited Byron are under investigation.

The infections have sent Greater Brisbane into a snap three-day lockdown which will kick in from 5pm Monday.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath reiterated what the premier said and explained she would also be contacting her NSW counterpart this morning as the two unknown cases had been to Byron Bay were infectious at the time.

The premier apologised for the inconvenience the snap lockdown was going to cause people, particularly in the lead-up to Easter, but said health had to come first.

“I didn’t sleep last night, so I am very worried,” she said.

When asked if the lockdown would extend beyond the three days, Ms Palaszczuk said she hoped not.

“It’s going to depend on how our contact tracers go over the next 24 hours,” she said.

Revelations that the two cases had travelled to Byron Bay comes as NSW residents woke to more freedoms including unlimited numbers on household gatherings and the return of dancing and singing in all settings.

More to come