The train wreck press conference was broadcast live and came ahead of authorities announcing three new locally acquired cases in Queensland, all in the border community of Goondiwindi.Ms D’Ath was 20 minutes into the presser in Cairns when a woman in a floppy hat rolled up and started yelling at her. The woman – who appeared to be filming the incident on her phone – interrupted Ms D’Ath and made a series of wild claims about the vaccine and its supposed effect on her friends. Ms D’Ath was composed and tried to calm the gatecrasher down: “So lady, I’m happy to talk to you but …”“I have a voice, you’ve said enough!” the woman yelled. The press conference was then cut short. “Well, aren’t you a nice lady!” the woman shouted after Ms D’Ath, who was in town to visit the Mossman Gorge pop-up vaccination hub and encourage people to get the jab.Meanwhile, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Thursday reported three new locally acquired cases in Queensland, all in Goondiwindi. One case is connected to a known cluster – understood to be Moree – while another case has been in the community for five days. Both were unvaccinated.Another infected woman in her 30s was also in the community for four days and had one dose of the vaccine. Deputy chief health officer Peter Aitken said all of the new cases were in hospital and would be transferred to a Covid facility, most likely on the Gold Coast.A NSW woman and a Victorian truck driver have also tested positive interstate after being infectious in Goondiwindi.Ms Palaszczuk said working in Goondiwindi’s favour was the town’s high vaccination rate.The community, which has a significant Indigenous population, is more than 81.5 per cent fully vaccinated, well above the 65.3 per cent statewide average. Goondiwindi Mayor Lawrence Springborg on Wednesday night noted the increasing Covid cluster in the nearby NSW town of Moree and said he was waiting for further Queensland health advice on travel restrictions. “As a border community, this is the very situation for which we have been so steadfastly preparing,” he said.A number of new exposure sites were also listed for Goondiwindi on Wednesday after an infected truckie passed through the town at the weekend. He was at the town’s Kmart, Coles, and a BP truck stop over two hours from 10am to noon. “The great irony is that we may never fully realise the success of our region’s vaccination rate, as we will only ever know the number of positive cases and not how many were prevented,” Mr Springborg said.He said council had taken every opportunity to advocate to ensure that there was no disruption to the harvest, and council staff had been asked to limit their interactions with others.
Powered by WPeMatico
