29 February 2020
Queensland Health has issued a coronavirus (COVID-19) contact tracing alert after a 63-year-old woman returned from Iran and was on the Gold Coast while potentially infectious.
The woman is currently in isolation at Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition.
Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said Queensland Health was deploying the same strategy it uses tracking cases of measles in the community to help reduce the risk of spread of the disease.
"Safety of Queenslanders - in this case people on the Gold Coast - is our number one priority," Dr Young said.
"Our contact tracing procedures are well underway and we want to take every opportunity to raise awareness of this issue in the community.
"Queensland Health has very rigorous contact tracing procedures in place and we do this very well dozens of times a year for measles - a disease significantly more infectious than COVID-19.”
Health Minister Steven Miles said Queensland Health will be contacting customers of Hair Plus at Australia Fair, Southport, who had appointments at the salon on Thursday 27 February and may have been in close contact with the woman.
“We are asking anyone who attended Hair Plus at Australia Fair from 11am onwards on Thursday 27 February to go to the Gold Coast University Hospital,” he said.
“If you went to Australia Fair but did not go to that particular hair salon on Thursday, there is no need for concern, but if you would like any advice please ring 13HEALTH.”
Mr Miles said Gold Coast Health had established extra fever clinics to help manage demand for testing.
“I want to thank Gold Coast Health for their quick response”, he said.
“This patient will receive the very best care from the same team that treated Queensland’s first coronavirus cases.
“The Gold Coast community can be proud of their public health service and confident that it is prepared for any further cases.”
Dr Young said the best weapon Queenslanders could deploy against the virus was hand-washing.
"Washing your hands is the gold medal of health advice as far as coronavirus goes," Dr Young said.
Washing your hands often and properly means that you can help prevent viruses from entering your body.
Dr Young said travellers and members of the public should be alert for any symptoms of illness.
A number of clinical symptoms have been reported in identified cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), including: fever, a dry cough, sore throat, fatigue and shortness of breath.
There have now been nine people in Queensland with COVID-19 including the three people from the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship.
If you have been overseas in the last 14 days and feel unwell please immediately see a doctor. Please call ahead to the GP surgery or hospital to let them know you may be infected with the novel coronavirus.