Overview
Earlier this week, on Monday, July 12, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that life would soon be changing in Queensland — with the restrictions that've been in place for the past fortnight across the state set to lift from 6am on Friday, June 16. In the past 24 hours, however, three new locally acquired COVID-19 cases have been reported. As a result, the Premier has announced today, Thursday, July 15, that the limits and caps will no longer ease in 11 Local Government Areas in and around Brisbane.
Instead, those areas will continue under the present restrictions until at least Friday, July 23. That'll apply in the Brisbane City Council, Logan, Moreton Bay, Ipswich, Redlands, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Noosa, Somerset, Lockyer Valley and Scenic Rim LGAs.
That means that the existing rules will keep limiting what you can do, where and with how many people, as we've all become used to during the pandemic. And yes, dancing is still banned, so Footloose might make for good weekend viewing — yep, again.
The 30-person limit on at-home gatherings will remain, and that cap includes folks who live with you. And, as well as banning dancing, standing up at cafes, restaurants, bars and nightclubs is still not permitted. So, to eat, drink and hang out, you'll need to be seated.
Hospitality businesses will also have to stick to the one person per four-square-metres indoors and one person per two-square-metres outdoors rules. That said, venues smaller than 200 square metres will be permitted to welcome in one person per two-square-metres with a cap of 50 people.
Outdoor events can go ahead, but only if they have a COVID-19-safe plan in place. Indoor events can too — and both can have 100-percent capacity if they're seated, or one person per four-square-metres indoors and one person per two-square-metres outdoors rules otherwise.
Wearing masks will still be required whenever you're not at home — and you'll always have to have one with you as a result. So, they must be worn in all indoor spaces other than your own house, all indoor workplaces unless it is unsafe to do so, on public transport, in taxis and ride share vehicles, and outdoors, unless you're doing vigorous exercise.
"We won't be able to ease our restrictions in the Greater Brisbane area and I know people will be disappointed by that," said the Premier.
Queenslanders are asked to keep social distancing, maintaining the hygiene practices that have been in place since March 2020, and checking the state's list of exposure sites — and to get tested if you're feeling even the slightest possible COVID-19 symptoms.
For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Queensland, head to the QLD COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website.