Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young reveals when lockdown end decision will be made

Queensland’s chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young has revealed when she’ll make a decision about if the lockdown will end as she warns the mask mandate could continue until Christmas.

As southeast Queenslanders sweat on knowing when the eight-day lockdown will end, Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young has revealed when she’ll make the decision and warned we could be wearing masks until Christmas.

Dr Young said she was ‘genuinely hopeful’ she would be able to lift the lockdown on Sunday afternoon following ‘promising’ news of 10 locally acquired cases on Friday - all linked to the current Indooroopilly cluster and the majority in quarantine while infectious.

However, Dr Young said she would not make a final decision until Sunday morning.

“It depends on how we go over the next few days,” she said.

“I will want to see the numbers on Sunday morning first.

“I am genuinely hopeful we’ll be able to lift the lockdown on Sunday.”

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young. Picture: Dan Peled

She said it was ‘too quick’ to make a decision earlier given it will only be an eight-day lockdown.

Dr Young said some restrictions would remain after the lockdown lifted but she did not yet have specifics.

It came as she warned the mask mandate could continue through until Christmas, noting how effective it was in stopping the spread of the Delta variant.

“We are going to have to get used to wearing them unfortunately,” she said.

“Hopefully it won’t be until Christmas but it might be.”

Dr Young said the Education Department had sourced masks that could fit smaller children and officials were considering a pilot program to roll out masks in primary schools among the older year levels.

“It might end up being those older children in primary school, but we will work it through,” she said.

“Nothing is decided at this stage.”

Deputy Premier Steven Miles said Queenslanders were doing an amazing job.

“I’ve never been more proud to be a Queenslander,” he said.

“All the indications are it’s working.”

But he said it was too soon to say whether restrictions will be eased.