Qld Covid-19: Qld records seven new local cases, ‘serious concern’ over NSW

Queensland has recorded eight new cases of Covid-19, seven of them tied to the schools cluster and picked up in home quarantine. It comes as the Premier seeks answers from NSW about plans to contain the state’s growing outbreak.

Queensland has recorded eight new cases of Covid-19, seven of them linked to the Indooroopilly State High School Delta outbreak.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the case numbers were good news, and said containment of the NSW Covid situation would be the focus of National Cabinet, over fears it was encroaching on the Queensland border.

Ms Palaszczuk said all of today’s local cases were picked up in home quarantine - one on day 12 of isolation.

One of the local cases was tied to a Japanese class at St Aidan’s. The others were linked to Ironside State School and Brisbane Grammar school.

The other case was acquired overseas and detected in hotel quarantine.

There have been no further cases in Cairns.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk arrives at a press conference in Brisbane, on Friday, August 13. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Jono Searle

Queensland on Thursday recorded 11 new Covid-19 cases, of which 10 were linked to the Indooroopilly cluster and in home quarantine.

One case was acquired overseas and detected in hotel quarantine, taking the state’s total active cases to 158.

It comes as thousands of Queensland families forced into quarantine as a result of the western suburbs Delta outbreak are allowed to leave their homes.

At least 40 cases have been linked to Indooroopilly State High School, and many of the families forced into isolation as a result have been allowed to leave quarantine on Friday.

It’s believed at least 30 families caught out in the outbreak been ordered to undergo extended isolation periods.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannett Young said those who had been stuck in home quarantine orders had helped save lives.

Ms Palaszczuk said she wanted to hear from NSW at National Cabinet about their plans to contain outbreaks.

“The last thing we want is for the virus to spread north and south and across the nation,” she said.

“We’re looking forward to an update from NSW at National Cabinet.”

Ms Palaszczuk stopped short of saying that she believed all of NSW should go into lockdown.

“New South Wales needs to have a clear plan for containment - this is a concern for the rest of the nation,” she said.

“We do wish them all the very best - it’s spreading, it spreads easily.

“It’s not just in Sydney now, it’s encroaching into other parts of the state. It’s up near the border where we are, it’s a real concern.”

Ms Palaszczuk said she had seen overseas “this virus, once it takes hold is hard to stop”.

Dr Young said said didn’t know when a case from NSW may come into the state from NSW and reminded anyone who had been in the ACT from August 9 to quarantine at home for 14 days. Anyone who arrives from the ACT from 1am on Saturday will have to go into hotel quarantine.

Dr Young reiterated her calls for people to urgently get vaccinated and warned Queenslanders to expect cases to continuously rise.

More than 15,000 people were vaccinated in Queensland yesterday.

“I don’t know when our next outbreak will happen, we will get another outbreak,” she said.

Dr Young said she was on edge over where the outbreak would come from and urged Queenslanders to remain vigilant.

“We need to be less social with one and other,” she said.

“This is not the time to hug people or give them a kiss, except in your own household.”

She said there would be more cases in the latest outbreak, but they would be among families “staying in quarantine”.

When a positive case is recorded in quarantine the 14-day clock starts again.

“There are some families there who are going to do it exceptionally tough,” Dr Young said.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said she had been asked to remind people to get rid of their disposable masks in the right way, and not litter.