Juveniles sent here to avoid the bug

YOUNG offenders could be sent to Townsville as a Brisbane youth detention centre goes into lockdown.

Department of Youth Justice Director-general Bob Gee ( pictured) yesterday said the free beds at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre could be filled with youths waiting in watch-houses.

This comes as a staff member at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre at Wacol tested positive for coronavirus.

Mr Gee said there were about 34 beds available at Cleveland and arrangements would be made to transfer youth offenders to Townsville.

“We will work through with police in terms of transporting them to Cleveland if we need to,” Mr Gee said.

He added that it was the preference to keep the children in watch-houses if it was possible.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the woman, 77, had worked while she was sick.

It is understood the woman, who lives in Ipswich, works in the operations centre as a supervisor.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said the Ipswich woman had worked about five shifts at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre while infectious.

The supervisor, who is understood to live in the Ipswich suburb of Bundamba, became unwell on August 10 and is in a stable condition in the Ipswich Hospital.

The centre has more than 500 staff and 130 youths – the youngest of whom is 13 – and all of the youths at the facility have been tested. Three were found to be sick but their tests came back negative.

The facility has been locked down and contact tracing around the woman is being carried out. Personal protective equipment has been issued to both staff and young people at the centre.

Court appearances have been cancelled, as have education activities involving young people at the centre.