COVID-19 in Brisbane

COVID-19 is a highly contagious respiratory virus (specifically a coronavirus) that causes symptoms such as fever, coughing, sore throat and shortness of breath. It was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan City, China.

January 2020
21 January 2020: It was publicly announced by the Queensland Government that a man living in Brisbane was being tested for coronavirus after coming back from Wuhan with the symptoms. He arrived in Australia via Sydney and was put in home isolation after presenting to his GP with flu-like symptoms. As Australia had no tests specifically for COVID-19, they instead tested more broadly for a coronavirus. After the man tested negative, he was released from isolation.

"At this stage, anyone who returns from Wuhan… if they develop any respiratory symptoms — cough, fever, sore throat — then we're asking GPs and emergency departments to collect certain specimens and to send them down to Brisbane where they can be tested for the new virus."

- Dr. Jeannette Young, Queensland chief medical officer

24 January 2020: Four people had so far been tested for COVID-19 in Queensland with all returning negative results. Two more people were being tested in Brisbane. It was also reported that the University of Queensland had received funding by an international organisation to help create a vaccine for the new virus strain. UQ was recorded as stating they were confident they could develop a vaccine in as few as 16 weeks. It was one of three projects funded to develop a vaccine.

On the same day, pharmacies in Brisbane reported that they were experiencing face mask shortages due to the recent bushfires and coronavirus fears.

28 January 2020: Stuartholme School, an all-girls school at Toowong, announced to students' parents that they were quarantining 10 students from mainland China to a single floor of its boarding house for 14 days. The school said the students would undergo daily checks by a nurse before being allowed to attend class. However, it wasn't a strict quarantine as the school was letting the students attend class if they didn't show any signs of illness.

Another all-girls school in Brisbane, Clayfield College, said any student who returned unwell from China would "be isolated for two weeks to ensure she is not contagious in any way". Some state schools had sent out advice to parents stating that their children should not attend school if they have flu-like symptoms, recent contact with someone who's been in Wuhan or recent contact with a confirmed case.

On this day, the Queensland Government dismissed a fake racist statement circulating on social media. The statement is as follows:

"QLD Department of health media release QLD issues level 3 health warning for coronavirus, advises against nonessential [sic] travel to Wuhan, China, Sunnybank, Sunnybank Hill [sic], Runcorn, Eight Mile Plains and all populated areas with Chinese nationals of ratio of 1 to 3 non-Chinese Australians."

- Facebook post posted by an account purporting to be the Queensland Department of Health

On a federal level, the Federal Government told doctors and GP surgery staff to wear face masks when interacting with a potential coronavirus case. For the general public though, the advice was to not wear a mask.

29 January 2020: The Federal Government's travel advice website Smarttraveller updated its travel advice for China from "exercise normal safety precautions" to "reconsider your need to travel". China's Hubei Province, the epicentre of the virus, was given the "do not travel" warning by Smarttraveller.

In Brisbane, the Chinese women's soccer team was put in hotel quarantine, making it the first hotel quarantine in Brisbane. The State Government held concerns that the team that consisted of 32 people (including staff) would potentially spread COVID-19 as they had passed through Wuhan a week prior. No one had yet to show symptoms of the virus.

The Queensland Department of Education issued advice that students and staff that had been in China in the last 14 days keep themselves isolated and not return to school until 14 days had passed since returning.

It was reported by Sunnybank Hills State School that there had been a significant drop in attendance for the first day of school. The school's principal Geoff Mill stated in an email to parents, "I have been contacted by some families who are returning from China this week … they have advised me that they will be voluntarily staying home for the first two weeks of school. I equally encourage any other families returning from China to follow their example and to voluntarily stay home."

30 January 2020: The Chinese women's soccer team and staff all test negative for coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the Queensland Government was granted emergency powers via the Public Health Emergency Order. This meant that if a person had to be quarantined, it was no longer a voluntary decision.

31 January 2020: A Tigerair plane that had two positive cases on-flight from Melbourne to the Gold Coast underwent a deep clean. However, between the flight to the Gold Coast and the deep clean, the plane had serviced flights to destinations such as Cairns, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. The flights to and from Brisbane were Brisbane to Melbourne on January 29 and Brisbane to Melbourne on January 30. A student at Crestmead State School was put into isolation due to concerns of possible exposure after flying on the aircraft.

Domestic flights were still operating as normal but with the extra precaution of face masks on-board to give out to passengers showing symptoms of illness.