CANBERRA (Reuters) – Australia on Saturday registered the first local COVID-19 case in more than two weeks after a doctor tested positive for the coronavirus, leading to restrictions in regional hospitals.
Queensland’s Prime Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk said the doctor anonymously last week treated two patients who had recently returned to Australia and had received good confirmation for the UK variant.
“We know that this doctor, who assessed these two COVID-positive patients, was in hospital at the time. Now, it has improved signals, ”Palaszczuk told reporters in the state capital, Brisbane. It was the first local infection in Australia since February 24.
The doctor, whose name was not released, was treating patients, forcing authorities to engage in emergency communications, Palaszczuk said. Authorities have not yet determined how many people the doctor was treating.
As officials try to determine the extent of the uprising, Palaszczuk said, all hospitals in the state capital will be closed to visitors.
Australia has reported just over 29,000 coronavirus diseases and 909 COVID-19 deaths, far fewer than many developed countries, aided by international border closures, locks and strict social distance regulations.
In nearby New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Saturday that the country will open its borders for the first time to allow residents of Niue, a small Pacific country, to enter.
They will not have to quarantine when they arrive March 24, Arden said.
“Niue has not reported any cases of COVID-19 and the strict border controls mean we can be confident that it is safe to begin quarantine-free travel to New Zealand from Niue,” Ardern said in a statement. post-d.
Reciting with Colin Packham; Edited by William Mallard