Overview
It has been a month since the Greater Brisbane area last went into lockdown and, with new locally acquired COVID-19 cases identified over the past two days, it's happening again. From 4pm today, Saturday, July 31, 11 Local Government Areas in and around Brisbane are going back under strict stay-at-home conditions. The lockdown will last until at least 4pm on Tuesday, August 3 — and, this time around, the rules are tighter than in the past.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles announced the news at Queensland's daily COVID-19 press conference, advising that "we must go hard and go early." He continued: "it is confirmed that these cases are all the Delta strain — that is the strain that is currently driving the outbreak in Sydney. We know from that experience that this Delta strain can spread very, very quickly. It is much more dangerous than the previous strains that we have been dealing with. These new cases mean that there are now seven cases in the outbreak that we notified yesterday. We have seen from the experience in other states that the only way to beat the Delta strain is to move quickly, to be fast, and to be strong."
The lockdown applies to all 11 LGAs currently under the mandatory mask mandate: the Brisbane City Council, Logan, Moreton Bay, Ipswich, Redlands, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Noosa, Somerset, Lockyer Valley and Scenic Rim LGAs. This time, you can only leave your home for four reasons: to get essential goods – for example, groceries and medications – but only within ten kilometres of your house; for essential work if you can't work from home, and for school or childcare; for exercise within ten kilometres of home, and only with one person who isn't in your household; and for healthcare, including to get a COVID-19 vaccination, or to provide help, care or support.
The big change from past lockdowns — including from Brisbane's January, March and June lockdowns — is the introduction of the ten-kilometre limit. So, you can only go shopping or exercise within that distance of your house.
Also new as part of this lockdown: a complete ban on visitors to homes. In the past, you were allowed to have two people over, but this time you can't have anyone visit your house.
Masks are already compulsory in these areas, and will be required to be worn everywhere in the lockdown areas — other than if you're at your own home.
Cinemas, entertainment venues, recreational venues, beauty and personal care services, and gyms will all close, as will places of worship, while cafes, pubs and restaurants are only allowed to open for takeaway service. Funerals and weddings will also be restricted to ten people.
And, folks who decide to come to any of the areas going into lockdown during the stay-at-home period will be bound by the same restrictions, although travel is obviously discouraged — and no one should leave their locked-down area during this period.
Also, if you decide to leave the 11 LGAs before 4pm tonight, you must still go into lockdown and follow the conditions no matter wherever you are. These rules apply to anyone who has been within these Local Government Areas since 1am today, in fact.
As it has been during the pandemic so far, 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.
In terms of symptoms, you should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste — and getting tested at a clinic if you have any.
Eleven LGAs in the Greater Brisbane area will go into lockdown from 4pm on Saturday, July 31 until at least 4pm on Tuesday, August 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.