Qantas flight hostess ‘infectious’ on six flights

QANTASLINK DASH 8 - 400 VH-QOT (MSN 4269) 

Queensland is on edge after a Brisbane based Qantaslink flight attendant flew all over the state while infected with Covid-19. Her Delta infection has not been linked.

Health authorities are scrambling to trace a new infection in Queensland after it was revealed a regional crew member was " infectious” on six flights across the state. The QantasLink flight attendant worked on multiple flights between Brisbane, Longreach, Gladstone and Hervey Bay on July 11 and 12. Chief health officer Jeanette Young urged all residents in the remote communities to come forward for testing as her team races to figure out where the infection came from.

“Those people who live in Longreach, Gladstone or Hervey Bay — it is really important that you come forward and get tested if you have any symptoms,” she told reporters on Friday morning.

“Just be aware. Similarly, we are working through with CCTV footage at the Brisbane airport and other airports to see who else this flight attendant might have come into contact with.”

The Qantas flights the woman worked on include 

Flight QF2534 from Brisbane to Longreach on July 11, 

Flight QF2535 from Longreach to Brisbane on July 11, 

Flight QF2346 from Brisbane to Gladstone on July 11, 

She stayed at the Mercure Hotel in Gladstone on July 11.

Flight QF2331 from Gladstone to Brisbane on July 12, 

Flight QF2374 from Brisbane to Hervey Bay on July 12, 

Flight QF2375 from Hervey Bay to Brisbane on July 12.

The woman, who lives in Banyo in Brisbane’s north, then became ill on the 13th July but did not come forward for testing for nearly 10 days.

Dr Young said the genome sequencing reveals the woman is “definitely linked to the Sydney cluster” and has contracted the highly infectious strain but is mystified by how and where she became infected.