MYSTERY FLIGHT
Covid plane was refused interstate access
A SECOND passenger on a private plane which arrived in Cairns on Sunday has tested positive to Covid-19 in quarantine as questions arise over why it was allowed to land here. It is understood it was refused entry to two interstate airports.
A SECOND passenger on a private plane which arrived in Cairns on Sunday has tested positive to Covid-19 in quarantine as questions begin to arise over why it was allowed to land here.
The charter flight is understood to have been transporting people from a mine site somewhere in Africa, arriving in the Far North about 4.30am on Sunday.
But the Cairns Post understands the Gulfstream had been refused entry to two other interstate airports due to health concerns and it was a federal government decision to allow it to land in Cairns, against the wishes of Queensland Health.
While there is no suggestion of risk to the Far North community, Qld Health confirmed the second case on Wednesday with both cases feared to be the highly contagious Delta strain.
A Queensland Health spokeswoman confirmed that there was a total of 15 passengers who arrived on the flight and were placed in hotel quarantine, with two subsequently testing positive.
These two have since been transferred to Brisbane due to how contagious the Delta variant is.
Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews was unable to respond to questions about the mystery flight by deadline last night, including confirming who the people on the plane were.
It is understood most passengers were Australian citizens, although it is unclear whether any of them are Far North residents.
The federal government has also not yet confirmed why Cairns was chosen as the plane’s destination given its huge geographic distance from Africa.
Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch said he was not even aware of the flight’s arrival when questioned about it on Wednesday and was speaking with the minister’s office.
He said the office was in the process of tracking the flight, which appeared to have had a stopover in Kuala Lumpur prior to arriving in Cairns.
“Even the minister’s office confirmed it was highly unusual and want to get to the bottom of it themselves,” Mr Entsch said.
“Whether it was an emergency or some other reason (is uncertain).”
State government sources said there were particular concerns given Cairns’ proximity to multiple vulnerable Indigenous communities.
“Questions need to be asked about some of these decisions.”
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