Queensland's Gathering Limits Won't Lift Till There Has Been No Community Transmission for 14 Days

With a pandemic spreading around the globe, 2020 hasn't been the year for parties. In Queensland since mid-August, it hasn't been the time for just hanging out in large groups either. In response to rising COVID-19 case numbers last month, the Sunshine State re-implemented caps on social gatherings — of ten people in some areas, including Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and of 30 folks elsewhere.

Since the new limits came into place, you might've been wondering when they'll ease. With Queensland clocking up a relatively steady stream of new cases each day over the past few weeks, the state's powers-that-be have been understandably quiet on that front. But today, Monday, September 14, Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young has advised that she'll look at removing the restrictions when Queensland has had zero cases of the coronavirus via community transmission for a fortnight.

Specially, Dr Young noted that the state would need to have "no new cases other than cases that are in quarantine, which we know wouldn't spread". So, she isn't looking for zero cases in total — but to know that any new cases are contained, obtained from an identified source and linked to known cases.

The news comes as Queensland reports no new COVID-19 cases at all for the second day in a row; however Dr Young also advised that she had concerns about possible transmission in Goodna, Redbank Plains and Redbank. She's focusing on those areas west of the city "because we have had an individual who was out during a period and could have infected people — in the last 14 days".

Overall, since the pandemic began, Queensland has recorded 1149 COVID-19 cases — and currently has 30 active cases.

And if you need a refresher about the current social gathering limits, the ten-person rule currently applies in the Brisbane, Ipswich, Gold Coast, Logan, Moreton Bay, Redland, Scenic Rim, Somerset, South Burnett, Toowoomba, Southern Downs, Western Downs, Lockyer Valley, Goondiwindi and Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire local government areas.

For more information about southeast Queensland's COVID-19 gathering restrictions, or about the status of COVID-19 in the state, visit the Qld COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website.