More than 55 people have tested negative to COVID-19 after coming into contact with an infected farm worker in the Wide Bay region.
The man, 24, remains in isolation under clinical supervision in Bundaberg after being diagnosed with the disease on Friday.
He travelled from Melbourne to Bundaberg, via Brisbane, last week to work on a fruit farm.
More than 250 people have so far been tested following the man’s diagnosis, including 147 at a pop-up clinic set up at the farm-worker accommodation.
Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said 57 people had tested negative, including 15 close contacts in Brisbane and 42 co-workers in Bundaberg. The remaining results are due over the next 24 hours.
“The results so far are promising and the response from the farming business, the patient’s contacts and the Wide Bay community has been excellent,” she said.
“We are continuing our rapid response to this case, including contact tracing in an effort to find every person the patient had potential contact with since arriving in Queensland almost a week ago. As a precaution, we plan to do a round of follow-up testing later this week.
“These are early days and we have much more work to do before we can be confident there has been no further transmission.”
Queensland Health is contacting passengers aboard two flights – Virgin VA313 (Melbourne-Brisbane) and Virgin VA2905 (Brisbane-Bundaberg).
The pop-up clinic at the farm-worker accommodation closed after all employees were tested. Additional health staff have been provided at the Bundaberg Hospital fever clinic, where 92 people were tested yesterday (6 June).
The patient entered Queensland as an exempt seasonal worker exemption under the Border Direction from Melbourne on 1 June and spent time in Brisbane before flying to Bundaberg the following day.
Dr Young said it was likely he was infected by a flatmate in Melbourne where there is ongoing community transmission.
