Fever clinics set up to manage virus in Queensland

QUEENSLAND has set up fever clinics in key emergency departments as residents returning from mainland China are told to quarantine themselves to protect the state from the new coronavirus.

Two Chinese tourists in isolation in the Gold Coast University Hospital are Queensland’s only known cases of the novel virus, with all tests at the weekend proving negative.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the parents of more than 3700 children who had recently returned from China, including Hong Kong, had all been contacted to advise them to keep students away from school, TAFE and childcare for 14 days.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette

Young said that under changes to national protocols for containing the virus, announced at the weekend, anyone returning to Australia from China would be told to remain in quarantine for a fortnight.

Dr Young said systems had been put in place for every flight into Queensland from mainland China, including Hong Kong, to be assessed by a team of nurses.

The novel coronavirus has claimed more than 300 lives and infected more than 14,300 people, mostly in mainland China. Twelve cases have been confirmed in Australia.

Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles said more fever clinics were expected to open in public hospital emergency departments to deal with an expected influx of potential coronavirus patients in coming days. He said the clinics allowed health workers to separate people who fear they may have the virus from other emergency patients.

Dr Young urged the community to remain calm. “If you haven’t been to mainland China, if you haven’t come into contact with a confirmed case, you won’t have this novel coronavirus,” she said.

Opposition leader

Deb

Frecklington has called on the State Government to deliver an emergency assistance package to the Far North and other tourist centres.

“While every effort must be made to contain the disease, the Palaszczuk Government also needs to immediately develop a plan to save Queensland jobs,” she said. “China is Queensland’s most important overseas tourism market.”