Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, has confirmed that a Cairns taxi-driver who was infectious in the community for 10 days with Covid-19 is linked to last week’s marine pilot case.

The Premier said that there are still only two active cases in the region and that this was very good news.

“It’s great to know that linkage has been done so honestly great work by our Queensland Health staff, fantastic news there,” Palaszczuk said.

The premier reminded the public about the importance of the current three-day lockdown as well as tracing for anyone that came into contact with the taxi driver.

“It’s really important if you’re in cairns to be staying at home and only going out for those essential purposes. We want to make sure we get all of those contacts from the taxi driver into home quarantine as quickly as possible to keep that community safe,” she said.

Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young had a similar message for residents of Cairns.

“For Cairns, it’s vital that you are now in lockdown for 3 days while we work out all the contacts for the taxi driver and we go back and reassess all the contacts of that pilot who brings ships in through the reef,” Young said.

The CMO said that using genome senquencing Queensland Health can confirm that the taxi driver acquired it from the marine pilot.

“We suspect it was when he drove that pilot from his home to the airport and then that pilot then flew down to Brisbane,” she said.

Young urged people in the Cairns region to get tested if showing any symptoms at all.

"Don't wait for a call from Queensland Health just come forward and get tested.

To book a Covid-19 test please call 1800 861 863 or visit https://healthserviceportal.health.qld.gov.au/hdsp

For all of Queensland Health’s latest information and updates on COVID-19 visit https://www.health.qld.gov.au/http