Infected bikie plane passenger puts woman's life in danger

Exclusive: A man and his immunocompromised partner who flew on a Jetstar flight with a coronavirus-infected bikie have still not been contacted by Queensland Health, almost 30 hours after their plane landed in Brisbane.

Today it emerged Shane Bowden, a former member of the Mongols, had allegedly boarded Jetstar flight, JQ560, knowing he was positive with coronavirus.

Thomas, 25, exclusively told nine.com.au how the Jetstar plane was "85 per cent" full and he believed he was on the same tightly-packed bus with Bowden, which took passengers from the airport to the hotel.

Thomas* wished to remain anonymous for personal reasons, however nine.com.au has seen proof of his plane ticket.

He said he was "very concerned" for his partner's health after learning on 9News Bowden was COVID-positive and aboard their two-hour flight.

READ MORE: How Shane Bowden was intercepted by authorities

Thomas and his partner, who has autoimmune conditions, had flown out of Melbourne for Queensland to better safeguard her health in the face of the state's second wave.

"Nobody from the hotel or Queensland Health has been in touch," Thomas said when he spoke with nine.com.au today.

By lunch today, neither he nor his partner had been tested for the virus.

The Jetstar plane landed at 9.19am yesterday.

Nine.com.au has contacted Queensland Health for comment, but they had not responded by time of publication.

Thomas said he had "suspicions" Bowden was travelling on their bus from Brisbane Airport to the hotel.

"We saw someone at the back of the bus who was very different to everyone else," he said.

The heavyset figure was "tucked away at the back and very covered up" with a facial bandana-style mask, hoodie and beanie.

Shane Scott Bowden was a former member of the Mongols bikie gang.

"You could only see his eyes," Thomas said.

Police escorted two buses from Brisbane Airport to a city hotel for quarantine.

Thomas, who works as an analyst, said health teams processed the other bus first.

While that happened, he and other passengers were stuck for 90 minutes inside the confines of the bus.

"Most of us were standing in the aisle talking," he said.

He said the covered figure remained seated at the back.

The bus was essentially "a tube of frustrated people within close proximity to each other".

It was disturbing to be part of a potential cluster, Thomas said, which "makes us think we could be in serious danger of catching this".

Thomas and his partner had been incredibly cautious of the virus in Melbourne.

Since March, they had worked exclusively from home, avoiding all contact with other people, with only one person leaving to do grocery shopping.

"We are upset that we were safe in our bubble in Victoria and now at risk," Thomas said.

He said he felt their health had been put in danger by one person.

He described Melbourne and Brisbane airports, the plane journey and airport bus protocols as "extraordinarily relaxed".

This morning Deputy Premier Steven Miles said contact tracing and a police investigation into Bowden was underway.

"Authorities in Queensland and Victoria will now investigate whether [Bowden] has committed an offence," Mr Miles said.

Mr Miles said Bowden had tested positive "some time ago".

Victorian authorities had been attempting to locate the former bikie, Mr Miles said.

*Thomas is not his real name.

Contact: msaunoko@nine.com.au

FOLLOW: Mark Saunokonoko on Twitter

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