“It should never have happened,” said Samantha Matheson​, who flew from Brisbane to Christchurch on Wednesday night, the day before the incident.
“I’m disappointed and angry.”
The COVID-19 positive passenger and his travel companion arrived on a red flight from Port Moresby into Brisbane about 9.30am (local time) on Thursday.
The pair were processed and screened for transiting as normal, but at around 9.55am, they were “incorrectly” allowed into the green zone, Brisbane Airport Corporation confirmed.
The man’s positive test result was returned on Thursday. The other traveller returned a negative test result.
While at the airport, Ms Matheson said she felt “cautious but safe enough”.
She kept her distance from other travellers, only sat in one seat, and looked at the barriers that had been put up at the airport.
Most people she saw were respectful of the public health directives and security guards were roaming the terminal.
She said there were signs in the departure lounge “clearly stating” it was a green zone, and didn’t understand how anyone was able to “slip” in.
“Until they say how the red zone people got into the green zone, and have rectified the breach, I won’t feel safe in that green zone again.”
Details around how the passengers were led into the green zone haven’t been released. The airport put it down to “human error”.
Although she wasn’t at the airport at the same time as the case, Ms Matheson is being cautious while in New Zealand and closely following all public health advice. She’s also checking in with the NZ Covid Tracer app everywhere she goes.
“Everyone I have seen and am going to see, I give them the details of the breach and that I was there the day before it. I give them the option of not seeing me … Especially those friends and family with young children [or] underlying health issues.”
Ms Matheson moved to Australia more than a year ago and decided to return home to surprise her family. She said she would continue to be cautious while travelling, but was hopeful the experience would improve as “they work the kinks out”.
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The international terminal has since been listed as an exposure site by Queensland Health.
Anyone who was in the terminal between 9.45am (local time) and midday on Thursday is advised to monitor their symptoms and immediately get tested if feeling unwell.
The Ministry of Health is yet to release updated advice for travellers who were on the three flights that departed Brisbane Airport around the time the red zone travellers were in the terminal.
There were around 390 passengers on these flights, but reportedly only “a handful” were in the vicinity of the red passengers.
While in the green terminal, the pair sat down at Hudson Cafe, used the bathroom and visited another retailer. They were located by airport staff around two hours later.
This content first appear on 9news