Queensland escapes lockdown but new rules in place amid multiple clusters

New rules have been imposed on Queensland as multiple Covid clusters threaten to cause havoc across the state.

New restrictions have been imposed on Queenslanders as health authorities scramble to stop four separate Covid-19 clusters from spreading further.

Six new locally acquired cases were recorded on Thursday, including one in Townsville.

As a result, from 4pm, residents in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Logan and Palm Island council areas will return to stage two restrictions for the next two weeks.

Here’s what that means.

• The number of people allowed into homes capped at 30
• Weddings and funerals capped at 100, with 20 people allowed to dance at weddings
• Restaurants, cafes and bars return to one-per-four-square metre rule, with no standing allowed
• Stadiums capped at 75 per cent capacity – including this weekend’s NRL grand final

Queenslanders have been asked to wear masks whenever they are outside their homes, get tested when they develop even mild symptoms and come forward to get vaccinated.

The new cases include four people linked to a Brisbane aviation worker, including one who travelled to Townsville.

Another case is a woman from Camp Hill in Brisbane who tested positive following a trip over the border to Kyogle.

The sixth case is a Queensland resident who flew home from Melbourne and has been deemed infectious on the flight.

Authorities are also tracing infections announced on Tuesday — the worker from an aviation training centre and a truck driver who was infectious in the community for eight days from September 19 in highly populated areas in central Brisbane.

Along with mask mandates being reintroduced this week, visits to aged care and disability facilities in Brisbane and Moreton Bay have been banned.

The escalating crisis is expected to force Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to impose further restrictions following comments from chief health officer Jeannette Young, who was visibly concerned by the growing threat.

Queensland is anxious a lockdown will be announced on Thursday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jono Searle

She told reporters on Wednesday “I can’t say I’m comfortable” with the current situation, hinting a lockdown would be triggered if further cases emerged.

“I’m watching this very, very carefully and I'm just asking, because Queenslanders have done such a fantastic job with our last few outbreaks with wearing masks, with coming forward and getting tested,” the top doctor said.

“I’m prepared to wait and see if we’ve got any local transmission. At the moment, all of these cases are linked. We know exactly how they’ve got them.”

The list of exposure sites across the state’s southeast continues to soar, alerting of possible spread on a Virgin Australia flight as well as shopping centres in Carindale, Cannon Hill and Brisbane’s CBD.

For a full list of the exposure sites, visit the Queensland Health website here.

Originally published as Queensland escapes lockdown but new rules in place amid multiple clusters