Covid Qld: Cluster on a knife edge as state gets ahead of Delta outbreak... just

Queensland is in front of Covid-19 for the time being with authorities hopeful the lockdown will be lifted on Sunday if people continued adhering to the strict stay-at-home orders.

Queensland is in front of Covid-19 for the time being with authorities hopeful the lockdown will be lifted on Sunday if people continue adhering to the strict stay-at-home orders.

But the state government stopped short of celebrating on Thursday as another 16 cases linked to the swelling Indooroopilly cluster were recorded and last night at least two further cases emerged at top private schools.

The country is continuing to heave under the deadly Delta strain with Victoria being plunged into a seven-day lockdown last night and the Hunter and upper Hunter Region in NSW also now having to abide by stay-at-home orders for a week.

Chief health officer Jeannette Young revealed she was surprised that Queensland was currently “so far in front of the virus” and that she was hopeful the lockdown could end on Sunday.

“If we are able to get out of this on Sunday, it’ll be the quickest response to a cluster of this size anywhere,” she said.

But as Queenslanders were again urged to mask up and get vaccinated, vulnerable people who would have received their vaccinations under the 1B category may need to wait.

Queensland Health has conceded that a constrained supply of doses means high priority workers and people due to receive their second jab were being prioritised.

Vulnerable people are urged to register their interest or try and receive a vaccine through a Commonwealth clinic.

“Each week as our supply increases, we’re releasing more vaccination appointment invitations for eligible people who have registered, as spots become available,” a Queensland Health spokeswoman said.

“If you want a vaccine, make sure you’ve joined the queue and register your interest.”

Brisbane Girls Grammar School. Picture David Clark

Brisbane Boys Grammar School. Picture David Clark

Twenty-seven new cases across Queensland were reported on Thursday with 16 of those linked to the Indooroopilly Delta cluster, which has grown to 79.

The other 11 cases are located on the PAN Europe – an LNG tanker off the Port of Gladstone – and were acquired overseas.

Only three of the locally acquired cases were infectious in the community for one day (July 31) and another was infectious in the community for two days (July 30 and 31).

The rest were in quarantine when the virus was detected.

Dr Young said she was hopeful those four cases had minimal contact with people because of the lockdown.

One Queenslander is being treated in ICU but does not require a ventilator.

Last night Brisbane Girls Grammar School revealed a second student had tested positive, taking the school’s total number of cases to three.

Neighbouring Brisbane Grammar School also had another parent testing positive taking its total to 12 cases - eight students, two teachers and two parents.

The new cases are expected to be recorded in today’s figures.

Queenslanders have been getting tested in droves. Picture David Clark

It came as Queensland broke another testing record – hitting 52,351 tests in 24 hours.

There are now more than 7,000 people who are subject to a home quarantine direction.

Blake Barrett and his family were caught up in the quarantine cohort when he dashed into an Indooroopilly supermarket, now listed as an exposure site, to grab a few groceries at the weekend.

“I think a lot of Queenslanders are frustrated with the restrictions and having to quarantine but having seen what has happened in Sydney and previously Melbourne we’re being more cautious,” Mr Barrett said.

“We know that short-term pain is better than months of pain.”

Dr Young left the door open to lifting some parts of the region out of lockdown on Sunday ahead of Brisbane if authorities wanted more time to contain the virus – saying it was something officials “always look at”.

Meanwhile Queensland can expect to receive a fast-tracked 112,320 Pfizer vaccines over the next fortnight, which the Commonwealth is bringing forward from September.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said preparations were afoot to facilitate the extra jabs.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles wouldn’t say when the government would likely make a decision on whether to lift the lockdown.

“As we always have, we will endeavour to make the decision as soon as we can based on the information that’s to hand,” he said.

“But it’s difficult to say at this stage what the next few days will look like and so we will need to see those play out before we can advise Queenslanders what the arrangements will be beyond Sunday.”

Dr Young said she had not previously expected the state to be “so far in front of the virus” at this stage of the latest outbreak.

Queensland Police patrolling Shorncliffe Pier looking for anyone who may be in breach of lockdown rules. Picture: Richard Walker

“This is fantastic news – this is Queenslanders coming together brilliantly and working with us,” she said.

“It doesn’t mean we’re through it yet.

“We’ve still got a long way to go.

“But we’ve done really, really, really well ‘til now.”

But Dr Young warned that if stay-at -home restrictions were lifted on Sunday, other restrictions would stay in place as they have after previous lockdowns.

Queenslanders have also been urged to keep checking the growing list of exposure sites, which includes Cielo Rooftop Bar in Fortitude Valley for four hours on July 30 and the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art on July 27.