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Queensland authorities are testing four more people for coronavirus who were in the same tour group with a man who tested positive yesterday.
Key points:
- The man who tested positive travelled to the Gold Coast on Tiger Airways flight TT566 on January 27
- Eight others in the man's tour group have been isolated
- Two Australian citizens in China have also been infected with coronavirus
They are all in isolation at the Gold Coast University Hospital.
The test results are due later today.
The man who tested positive travelled from Melbourne to the Gold Coast on Tigerair Australia flight TT566 on January 27.
Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles said the man became unwell while on the flight.
"Queensland Health is trying to get contact details for all passengers on that flight," he said.
He urged anyone that was on the flight to call 13HEALTH.
Up to 200 people were on the flight.
Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young said eight others in the man's tour group have been isolated.
"Four of them are unwell and are being tested, four of them are well at this time, but we'll continue to monitor them," Dr Young said.
Dr Young confirmed that children were among the members of the group who were unwell and were being monitored.
She said a total of 41 people in Queensland were being tested for the illness, all of whom had returned from China in the past 14 days and had "developed symptoms".
"One of the important messages to provide to Queenslanders today is there's no need to panic," she said.
Tigerair Australia group medical officer Dr Sara Souter said the airline was working closely with Queensland Health.
"At this point we have provided passenger details to Queensland Health to contact all passengers who were on the flight," she said.
Dr Souter said the airline had also contacted all crew on the flight to advise them of the situation.
"Based on medical advice we have received, the risk of contracting coronavirus is low for passengers who travelled on this aircraft in subsequent days. However, we have taken the precautionary measure of cleaning this aircraft today."
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk held a meeting of the State Disaster Management Committee on Thursday afternoon.
Dr Young said Queensland Health was working closely with the Federal Government and the World Health Organisation to ensure the best response.
Mr Miles said after the man's plane landed, he went to his accommodation at the Gold Coast, and called for an ambulance the following afternoon.
The man is now in isolation at the Gold Coast hospital.
The man was staying at Peppers Broadbeach, a hotel operated by Accor.
An Accor spokesperson said in a statement that it had been closely monitoring the situation.
"[We] have implemented additional hygiene procedures, including cleaning and disinfection as outlined by the authorities," the spokesperson said.
"The safety and wellbeing of our guests and colleagues is our highest priority and we are following the advice of the Australian Government's Department of Health to further limit any risk."
Mr Miles said the State Government was working to provide translated health updates to the local Chinese community.
The Federal Government has also confirmed two Australian citizens in China have been infected with coronavirus.
The virus has infected more than 7,700 people around the world, most of them in China, where the death toll stands at more than 170.
Toowoomba students in isolation
Toowoomba Grammar School has isolated seven of its boarders following advice from Queensland Health over coronavirus.
The school moved the boarders, who are from Hong Kong and China, into the school's health centre where a nurse will monitor them before moving them into a residence on Friday.
Toowoomba Grammar School headmaster Peter Hauser said the boys showed no sign of being sick.
"What we are doing is a precautionary measure consistent with what the Government has instructed," Mr Hauser said.
"They're in good spirits … our medical staff have checked them out and they're fine."
More on the coronavirus outbreak:
Topics: infectious-diseases-other, respiratory-diseases, epidemics-and-pandemics, travel-health-and-safety, public-sector, health-administration, health-policy, occupational-health-and-safety, vaccines-and-immunity, brisbane-4000, qld, mermaid-beach-4218
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