A woman worked in a detention centre in Brisbane while ill before testing coronavirus positive.
Queensland government said on Thursday, confirming the diagnosis of the 76-year-old patient, prompting urgent contract tracing.
The woman from Ipswich works at the Brisbane Youth Detention Center in Wacol, on the outskirts of west Brisbane.
“What is really important for Queenslanders today is, if you are sick, stay at home and get tested,” Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.
“(This) is a story of a woman who was sick and still went to work.
“Now a whole lot of contact tracing has to happen.
“Contact tracing is now happening because she worked at the youth detention centre at Wacol.”
While sick, the woman had worked five shifts, from around 8 August.
The place where she contracted the virus is not known.
“We’ll be speaking with her close contacts, with her family members, to try and identify a connection of where it has come from,” Palaszczuk said.
The detention centre is in lockdown. Arrangements being made to assess the 130 youths in detention at the facility & 500 staff. PPE has been supplied to youth & staff. No new arrivals will be admitted. No court appearances or lessons conducted from centre. @7NewsBrisbane
— Joel Dry (@JoelDry7) August 20, 2020
Over 600 staff and detainees will be tested for COVID-19.