Face Masks Will Remain Mandatory in Brisbane and Several Other Areas of Queensland Until July 16
For the next two weeks, residents in a significant part of the state will need to keep masking up unless they're at home.
The Sunshine State's latest of lockdowns is coming to an end, after multiple parts of Queensland were put under stay-at-home conditions for three days this week, and folks in in the Brisbane and Moreton Bay Local Government Areas were locked down for four days. From 6pm today, Saturday, July 3, there'll be no stay-at-home conditions in place statewide. New restrictions are coming into effect, however, and will apply until 6pm on Friday, July 16 — including mandatory mask-wearing.
In the Brisbane, Moreton Bay, 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, covering up is compulsory for the next fortnight. So, if you're spending any time anywhere other than in your own house, you'll be masking up.
This isn't a new development, with the latest mask mandate first coming into effect on Tuesday, June 29. It was originally meant to run for two weeks from that date, but that has now been extended.
Accordingly, you'll still need to keep covering up whenever you leave home — which includes places such as shopping centres, public transport, hospitals, aged care facilities and churches. And, you'll need to mask up in workplaces where you can't maintain physical distancing and it's safe to wear a mask. You'll need them outdoors, too, unless you're doing vigorous exercise.
You'll also need to always carry a mask with you when you aren't at home, obviously.
Announcing the end of lockdown for Brisbane and Moreton Bay and the new restrictions coming into effect at a press conference today, Saturday, July 3, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said that it's "really important to wear your mask. These masks are mandatory. Now, there could be some other community cases out there, so we really need people to wear their masks."
In the past 24 hours, Queensland reported five new locally acquired cases, with 47 cases currently active in the Sunshine State at the time of writing.
As always, Queenslanders are asked to keep social distancing, and maintaining the hygiene practices that have been in place since March 2020. You're also requested to keep checking the state's list of exposure sites — and to get tested if you're feeling even the slightest possible COVID-19 symptoms.
Face masks will be mandatory in the Greater Brisbane area until 6pm on Friday, July 16. 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, masks and associated restrictions can also be found on the Queensland Health website.
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