Top doctor says Queenslanders must sit down again

The Sunshine State’s top doctor reimposes social-distancing restriction as concerns for complacency grow.

Queenslanders will be made to sit down in pubs, clubs and nightclubs once again, as concerns social distancing measures are being ignored across the state.

Chief health officer Jeannette Young said on Friday she realised how difficult it was to adhere to the 1.5-metre social-distancing requirement and suggested it was much easier to do so while sitting down.

“When you go into a facility, take a seat. It’s a good reminder you need to stay 1.5 metres away from people,” Dr Young said.

“I know this is very difficult for businesses, but we need to send a very clear signal to everyone to continue social distancing.”

Dr Young said her concerns for a coronavirus outbreak in Queensland had grown as cases began to take off in NSW and that people needed to take this directive seriously.

“Younger people are feeling that if they get this it will be a mild disease and we’re starting to see that is not always the case,” she said.

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“We’re starting to see people experience complications from this disease for ongoing periods – you can get it and not fully recover. This is not a virus you want to get.”

Dr Young’s reimposing of mandatory seating in public venues comes as two new cases of COVID-19 were announced. Both cases came from individuals already in hotel quarantine.

This brings Queensland’s total number of active cases to five and total confirmed cases to date to 1076.