Queensland health authorities are on high alert after a mutant, super-spreading strain of COVID-19 was found in Australia. A woman, whose husband was forced into home quarantine after being identified as a close contact of the COVID-infected person who attended The Glen Hotel last Wednesday, told The Courier-Mail that a Queensland Health contact tracer had sounded the alarm over the new UK strain, which is feared to be 70 per cent more contagious.
Queenslanders urged to get tested for COVID-19 as border shuts to NSW: Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeanette Young is urging people to get tested for COVID-19 as the state is set to reimpose a hard border with New South Wales.
Sydneysiders who waited up to six hours in a drive-through Covid testing queue have blasted cruel police officers for fining drivers for using their phones - even though they were at a complete standstill.
Close to 30,000 residents across NSW raced to testing clinics across the state on Saturday as Sydney s northern beaches cluster surged with 28 new Covid cases.
But some cautious residents in the city s eastern suburbs who rushed to their local testing clinic by Bondi Beach were met with $349 fines and the loss of five demerit points for using their phones as they waited for a swab inside their cars.
England s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, said the UK has alerted the World Health Organisation that the new variant identified this week appears to be accelerating the spread of COVID-19.
The government s scientific advisers came to that conclusion based on preliminary modelling figures, and they are continuing to analyse the available data, he said.
Viruses mutate regularly, and scientists have found thousands of different mutations among samples of the virus causing COVID-19.
But many of these changes have no effect on how easily the virus spreads or how severe symptoms are.
UK strain needs to be put in context
Australia s Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said there have been thousands of mutations of the coronavirus, and the new mutation needs to be put in context .
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NSW has recorded 15 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hour reporting period. The locally acquired cases are all linked to the Avalon cluster. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says more than 38,000 people came forward for testing. It comes after the state recorded 30 new coronavirus cases yesterday, of which 28 were linked to the Northern Beaches cluster while two were under investigation. Authorities have issued a late night health warning for locations across Sydney as a mad rush to exit the city ramps up today. Sydney Airport was packed with travellers overnight as people rushed to flee the city. As of Sunday midnight, all states and territories have moved to restrict their borders from NSW residents travelling from Greater Sydney.