By Dominique Tassell
The Southern Downs was hit with a cold awakening when it was announced that Covid-19 had been detected in the region early last week.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that a man had tested positive for Covid-19 in Warwick on 8 November, and had been infectious in the community for 10 days.
The man reportedly attended an event in Moree and has been linked to other known cases.
Reportedly, the 27-tear-old unvaccinated man was taken to Warwick Hospital earlier this week and was evacuated to the Gold Coast on the night of Tuesday 9 November after testing positive.
Queensland Health would not confirm this but other sources state this was the case, including locals in the vicinity of the hospital at the time.
“Please do go and get tested if you’re in…the Warwick area or have been south of the border into that Moree area, if you have any symptoms at all,” she said at the time.
Condamine Sports Club and Warwick RSL were listed as exposure sites, with some confusion over exactly when the man attended these locations.
Initially, exposure sites were posted for Monday 1 November, with it stated that anyone who was at the Condamine Sports Centre from 1 to 2 pm, or the Warwick RSL from 8:30 to 9 pm should go get tested.
This was then changed to Tuesday 2 November for Condamine Sports Club, from 9 am to 10 pm.
The listing for Warwick RSl was changed to Wednesday 3 November from 8:40 pm to 9:10 pm.
No new exposure sites were ever announced, though it was later announced a teenage girl from Beaudesert had tested positive and been in Warwick for “a couple of days”.
Reportedly, proper check-in measures had not been carried out by the individuals and this meant Queensland Health could not properly track their movements and inform locals effectively.
A testing clinic was opened at the Warwick Showgrounds due to higher demand, testing 779 people from Wednesday 10 November to Monday 15 November.
A pop-up vaccine clinic was held at Warwick Town Hall and administered 689 doses from Friday 12 November to Monday 15 November.
Plans are now in place to return in three weeks to provide second doses.
The showgrounds testing site has now been relocated back to the Warwick Hospital. It is still a drive-through clinic and people do not need to phone ahead. It is open from 8 am to 4 pm each day.
Warwick Today and Stanthorpe Today staff were required to go into isolation due to being at the Condamine Sports Club on Tuesday 2 November, but returned negative tests within a few hours.
The community is reminded of the current restrictions and requirements:
• Maintain physical distancing – 1 person per 2 m2 or stay at least 1.5m from others.
• Wear a mask if required and maintain hand hygiene.
• Use the Check In Qld app.
• Get tested if you are unwell and remain in isolation until a negative result is received.
• Stay at home when sick.
Darling Downs Health is also kindly asking people to limit visits to the Warwick Hospital and The Oaks Retirement Village at this time.
