Australia has become the latest country to confirm the presence of the new South African coronavirus variant.
A woman travelling from overseas, who arrived in Queensland on 22 December, tested positive while in hotel quarantine. She is now being treated in hospital.
Queensland Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Yvette D Ath announced the discovery in a live
She said: We can report also today that it has been identified one overseas individual who arrived in Queensland on 22 December has tested positive for the new South African variant. This will be the first positive case of the South African variant in Australia.
QUEENSLAND S health workers are stressed and burned out, with two in five in the state s largest hospital saying their health has suffered in the past year as they ve worked through the COVID pandemic. The latest Working for Queensland survey has revealed the true feelings of nearly 27,000 Queensland Health staff members and shows the state s most stressed workers are at the largest Royal Brisbane and Women s Hospital in Metro North, in Wide Bay and in the state s Central West, around Longreach. In all three of those hospital and health services, between two in five and one in two felt burned out or overloaded with work.
But that doesn t mean you can t enjoy yourself this festive season. While the community has regained some sense of pre-pandemic normality, the
NewsMail reached out to police and health professionals for some advice on how to safely party in a pandemic. Senior Constable Brittany Duncan said under the current COVID restrictions 50 people were allowed to gather in homes. If you are going to a house party, Sen Const Duncan said you should always practice social distancing, keep two big steps away from other people and avoid hugs, kisses and handshakes. While only businesses can operate under a COVID Safe Event Checklist as listed under the Restrictions on Businesses, Activities and Undertakings Direction, the public does have the option of registering their parties with police.