UPDATE 25/3/20: Four more cases have been confirmed in Cairns, taking the local total to 10, plus one Cairns resident who is being treated in Brisbane after arriving from overseas.

For the first time, Cairns flights have been included in the contact tracing list published by Queensland Health.

QF922 Qantas flight from Sydney to Cairns on 18-Mar-20 VA799 Virgin Airlines flight from Brisbane to Cairns on 13-Mar-20

A Queensland Health spokesperson told Tropic Now that the department will contact anyone who may have been in close contact to the confirmed cases on those flights.

It comes as Queensland Health tonight confirmed a second Queenslander has passed away from coronavirus (COVID-19) on the Darling Downs.

The 68-year-old man had a serious underlying medical condition before contracting the virus. Queensland Health offers it’s sincere condolences to his family. The man’s family remain in isolation as close contacts.



It’s the second death from COVID-19 in Queensland after a 77-year-old Sunshine Coast woman with an underlying medical condition passed away in Sydney.

UPDATE 24/3/20: A sixth person has tested positive for COVID-19 in Cairns, with tonight's Queensland Health tally revealing the new case.

Tropic Now is seeking non-identifying details from Queensland Health, such as the gender, age and current condition of the new patient.

EARLIER 22/3/20:

Three people in Cairns who recently returned from the United States are believed to be the latest positive tests for COVID-19 in the city.

Tropic Now understands the group of three returned a positive test result this morning.

Queensland Health do not comment on individual cases, and there is often a delay in reporting confirmed cases in its daily tally.

Tropic Now's exclusive report yesterday on the city's second COVID-19 case was confirmed more than 24 hours later in today's Queensland Health tally.

Today's new cases are expected to be included in tomorrow's official tally.

Queensland has recorded its highest spike in new cases, with official figures revealing 60 new cases today, taking the state's total to 319.

MORE TO COME...