COVID crunch for Rookwood Weir project

The Rookwood Weir construction site in Central Queensland is at the centre of a COVID scare after a contractor tested positive. Queensland Health is tracing the contacts of the Brisbane woman, who flew to Rockhampton for work on July 28 and returned to Brisbane July 30. Sunwater said today that all non-essential project work at Rookwood Weir was suspended and travel to and from the site had ceased. A spokesman said all employees currently on-site at Rookwood Weir were isolating in individual rooms in workforce accommodation and would remain in quarantine for 14 days. Other workers from the project who have left the site have also been contacted and told to isolate for 14 days. "Each ensuite room has an individual air-conditioning unit and workers are allowed outside by themselves for fresh air but there is no congregating," the spokesman said. "Sunwater appreciates the impact on site staff and their families and is working with project partners to alleviate these impacts where possible. The Rookwood Weir project Facebook page shared images on Friday of the school visit. "Everyone at the camp completed COVID tests over the weekend." The Sunwater spokesman said the organisation had provided contact details to Queensland Health for all other workers and visitors to the site between Wednesday 28 and Friday 30 July. It is understood a group of Mount Morgan State High School year 10 students visited in that timeframe, undertaking a site tour and Q&A session with crew members late last week. Their visit was reported on Rookwood Weir social media coverage on July 30 with the tagline 'School is in'. The $367.2 million Rookwood Weir project is located on the Fitzroy River, 66km south-west of Rockhampton. Central Queensland-based McCosker Contracting was awarded the contract to build the Rookwood Weir with ACCIONA, in partnership with GHD and Sunwater. Queensland Health said it was contacting those who were in the same aircraft as the infected contractor and others identified as close or casual contacts. (The flights were QF2362 leaving Brisbane for Rockhampton at 8.30am on July 28 and QF2365 returning to Brisbane at 6.40pm on July 30). Testing clinic hours in Rockhampton’s CQUni fever clinic have been extended. Meanwhile, the State Government this morning announced that lockdown would be extended in South-East Queensland until 4pm, Sunday, August 8. This covers the local government areas of Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan City, Moreton Bay, Redlands, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Noosa, Somerset, Lockyer Valley and Scenic Rim. Anyone who has been in an impacted local government area since 1am Saturday, July 31 must observe the same lockdown conditions wherever they are in Queensland.

COVID crunch for Rookwood Weir project

Industry Queensland

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