Queensland lockdown extended

article-body

Queensland’s lockdown has been extended by a further five days after the state recorded 13 new local cases of COVID-19 on Monday.

Deputy premier Steven Miles said the initial three day lockdown in the state’s south east, which was set to end tomorrow, would be ‘insufficient for the outbreak’.

The lockdown, which applies to 11 local government areas, is now expected to end at 4pm, Sunday.

Miles said ‘absolutely everyone’ in those areas who can stay home must stay home in order for lockdown to end.

“There’s too many cars on the road in Brisbane at the moment. Too many people out and about. And if absolutely have to leave your home, please make sure that you wear a mask,” he said.

People living in the impacted areas are only permitted to leave their homes for the purpose of:

• Obtaining essential goods or services within 10km,
• Exercising in their area,
• Attending essential work and school, and for essential childcare,
• Assisting vulnerable people,
• Getting a COVID-19 test or vaccine.

State chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young has urged ‘every single person in Queensland’ to get tested if they experience any symptoms.

Young echoed Miles’ call for people to stay home, noting that the Delta variant of the virus is ‘totally unforgiving’.

“It really and truly spreads so rapidly. Today, one of those four new cases are in one family. So we’ve got to that family and immediately all people in that household are positive,” she said.

“So this is critical. If you’ve been asked to go into quarantine, that means you can’t go out and do something else before you go into quarantine. Immediately go into quarantine.”

Queensland recorded a total of 15 new cases over the weekend.

The local government areas subjected to the lockdown include: Brisbane City Council; Logan City Council; Moreton Bay Regional Council; Ipswich City Council; Redland City Council; Sunshine Coast Regional Council; Gold Coast City Council; Noosa Shire Council; Somerset Regional Council; Lockyer Valley Regional Council; and Scenic Rim Regional Council.