Overview
Since 6pm on Tuesday, June 29, residents of multiple parts of Queensland have been in lockdown to help combat the Sunshine State's latest COVID-19 outbreak. Folks in southeast Queensland, Townsville, Palm Island and Magnetic Island have only been allowed to leave their homes for the four reasons that were identified at the beginning of the pandemic — and, although the stay-at-home period was initially due to end at 6pm today, Friday, July 2, lockdown has just been extended for another day in the Brisbane and Moreton Bay Local Government Areas.
In her daily press conference, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk revealed that three new locally acquired cases were identified in the past 24 hours, including a mother and daughter from Carindale who've been out in the community in recent days. Those cases require further contact tracing, which is why lockdown has been extended in two specific LGAS. "We need another 24 hours — so I'm really asking people in the Brisbane City Council and Moreton Bay local government areas, the lockdown will continue for 24 hours," the Premier said.
Another press conference will be held tomorrow, on Saturday, July 3, to provide a further update for folks in those two LGAs — so if you live in those regions, that's when you'll know if the stay-at-home conditions will continue for even longer. For now, the same conditions that've been in place for the past three days will continue in Brisbane and Moreton Bay at least until 6pm tomorrow. People in these areas are only permitted to leave the house to head out for essential work or education if you can't do that at home, for essential shopping, for exercise in your local area, and for health care or to provide support for a vulnerable person. Otherwise, you must stay at home during the extended lockdown period.
Also still in effect: a limit of two visitors in homes, compulsory mask wearing unless you're in your own house and takeaway service only at hospitality venues. Cinemas, entertainment venues, recreational venues, gyms, and beauty and personal care services all must remain closed.
For residents of the other spots that've been in lockdown for the past three days — the Logan, Redlands, Ipswich, Noosa, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, the Scenic Rim, the Lockyer Valley and Somerset LGAs in southeast Queensland, plus Townsville, Palm Island and Magnetic Island — the stay-at-home requirement will lift at 6pm today. So, folks in those areas will be able to leave their homes again for any reason. That said, new rules will limit what you can do, where and with how many people, as we've all become used to during the pandemic.
Before lockdown started on Tuesday, a number of rules were actually put in place across Queensland — and they're all returning in the areas that'll be emerging from stay-at-home conditions. The 30-person limit on at-home gatherings is back, and that cap includes folks who live with you. Standing up at cafes, restaurants, bars and nightclubs has been scrapped again, and hospitality businesses will also have to operate under the one person per four-square-metres rule.
The usual requests regarding social distancing, hygiene and getting tested if you're feeling even the slightest possible COVID-19 symptoms all still apply — to the Brisbane and Moreton Bay LGAs, and to the areas coming out of lockdown — as they have since March last year.
In the past 24 hours until 6am this morning, Queensland reported three new locally acquired cases, with 46 cases currently active in total in the Sunshine State.
Queensland Health is maintaining an active register of locations that have been visited by positive COVID-19 cases, which you can check out on its website. You can also check out this nifty map that uses Queensland Health's data.
The Brisbane and Moreton Bay Local Government Areas will remain in lockdown for another 24 hours until 6pm on Saturday, July 3. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Queensland, head to the QLD COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website. More details about the lockdown and associated restrictions can also be found on the Queensland Health website.