Travellers who passed through Brisbane International Airport on Thursday have been warned of possible coronavirus exposure sites after a transiting passenger tested positive to COVID-19.
Queensland Health has identified the airport’s Hudson’s Coffee stand and adjacent seating area, and the male toilets adjacent to Gate 79 as areas visited by the infected passenger.
It says anyone who was at the coffee stand between 9.53 a.m. and 11.20 a.m. on April 29, or the toilets between 11.23 a.m. and 11.15 p.m. on that day, should isolate and get tested.
The passenger tested positive after he and his travel partner, who were in transit to Doha from Papua New Guinea, were mistakenly directed to the international terminal’s green zone.
Deputy Chief Health Officer Dr. Sonya Bennett said anyone who had been at the identified sites at the specified times needed to quarantine and get tested on Tuesday, May 4, five days after their exposure.
The three flights affected are Air New Zealand NZ202 from Brisbane to Christchurch, Air New Zealand NZ146 from Brisbane to Auckland and Qantas QF135 from Brisbane to Christchurch.
“It is likely that all of these contacts will be in New Zealand and NZ’s public health authorities are providing similar advice to people,” she said.
“However we need to make sure we capture any contacts who remain in Australia. Having viewed CCTV footage, we believe people who have been to these locations during the times of exposure face a potential risk.”
She said the average incubation period of COVID-19 was five days, so if people tested negative on Tuesday, they would be safe to leave quarantine.
Serology tests revealed the man was likely to have been at a late stage of his infection, meaning he posed a low risk to others at the airport. He and his travel partner were masked and socially distanced while in the green zone, outside of visiting the exposure sites.
