Greater Brisbane’s coronavirus lockdown will end on Monday night, but face masks will remain mandatory for 10 more days with possible virus carriers still undetected in the region.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says residents of the council areas of Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton Bay and Redlands will be able to leave their homes for any reason from 6pm Monday.
The three-day lockdown in the region seems to have suppressed the highly contagious UK strain of COVID-19.
“Can I thank people in the greater Brisbane region for responding in the way that they did? It has been absolutely truly remarkable,” Ms Palaszczuk told reporters on Monday.
“So, I can announce that the reward for their sacrifice is that we are able to end our lockdown.”
Queensland is on high alert after a cleaner at one of Brisbane’s quarantine hotels was initially diagnosed with the UK virus strain.
The highly contagious variant has potentially been active in the community since 2 January but no further locally acquired cases have been detected, so far.
People living in the greater Brisbane region will need to continue carrying and wearing face masks over the next 10 days, the premier said.
Masks will be required in supermarkets, shops, indoor markets, hospitals and aged care facilities, places of worship, libraries, indoor recreational facilities, such as cinemas and art galleries, and gyms.
However, people working in places where they can socially-distance do not have to wear masks.
“You’ll have to carry a face mask with you at all times. This is not dissimilar to what has happened in other jurisdiction,” Ms Palaszczuk added.
Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young says contact-tracers have found 370 close contacts who may have been exposed to the virus.
However, they’re still racing to find everyone who visited three separate venues in southern Brisbane.
These include Woolworths at Calamvale North between 11am and 12pm on 3 January, Coles Sunnybank Hills Shoppingtown between 7.30am and 8am on 5 January and a Sunnybank Hills newsagent between 8am and 8:15am on 5 January.
“I’m not sure we’ve found everyone who attended those three venues yet,’ she said.
“So it’s really important that anyone who has attended one of those three particular venues (gets tested).”
Dr Young called for people to continue to get tested, particularly in the Calamvale North and Algester areas after 18,904 tests were conducted on Sunday.
“Please make sure if you’ve got any symptoms at all you come forward and if you’ve been in any of those venues during those timeframes, please come forward,” she said.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your jurisdiction’s restrictions on gathering limits.
If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, stay home and arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080. News and information is available in 63 languages at sbs.com.au/coronavirus.
Please check the relevant guidelines for your state or territory: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory, ACT, Tasmania.
