Queensland Health is continuing to test hundreds of people who came into contact with a Cairns hospital worker infected with COVID-19.

Key points: More than 80 people who came into contact with a Cairns hospital worker infected with COVID-19 have returned negative tests

More than 80 people who came into contact with a Cairns hospital worker infected with COVID-19 have returned negative tests Queensland's health minister has assured the public the hospital is safe

Queensland's health minister has assured the public the hospital is safe COVID-19 cases in the region stand at 33, which proves social distancing is working, according to the local MP

The department launched a contact-tracing program on Friday after the staffer, who worked in a pathology laboratory above a cancer treatment centre, tested positive.

The worker, who is now in isolation, may have come into contact with as many as 270 people.

The department confirmed that 81 of those people, mainly health workers, had returned negative results.

Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service executive director Don Mackie said cancer patients were not at risk.

"The laboratory has very strict protocols for infection control and there was no risk to patients or people who have received blood products," Dr Mackie said.

"I want to reassure our community that we take this very seriously and it is still safe to come to the hospital."

The Pathology Queensland laboratory closed on Friday for deep cleaning and reopened on Saturday.

All laboratory staff were placed in quarantine, and reinforcements were sent from Brisbane to cover them.

The department said it was continuing to contact staff members most at risk of transmission and that other people who spent time in the laboratory between March 19 and April 17 would also need to be assessed, although there was a low risk of transmission.

Five active cases in Far North Queensland

The region's COVID-19 count remains at 33, with five of those cases active.

Cairns MP Michael Healy said the low count was proof that "social distancing was working" and urged residents not to become complacent.

"People in this country have died, and many more thousands around the world," he said.

Michael Healy has urged residents to stay vigilant and to keep practicing social-distancing. ( Supplied )

"We are doing nothing more than trying to stop people from getting killed by this virus.

"For some people self-isolating and social distancing is hard, but we are ensuring people in our community keep that up.

"We have to do it until there's a vaccine or evidence we have killed it in our community."

A second coronavirus testing clinic has now opened at Edmonton, in Cairns' south.