Snap Covid lockdown to end in Ipswich at 6pm, July 2 but restrictions will still apply

A key festival will proceed following confirmation on Friday morning that Ipswich would come out of the three-day Covid lockdown.

The Ipswich Civic Centre will reopen after the snap three-day Covid lockdown.

Ipswich is set to emerge from a snap three-day lockdown from 6pm Friday, with public facilities and businesses getting the green light to reopen.

Following the good news, Ipswich City Council’s SPARK Ipswich festival organisers have confirmed the long-awaited event is going ahead.

Designed to be Covid safe, with many aspects set outdoors and to allow social distancing, the event will launch on July 8 under current regulations.

Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said the end of the lockdown in Ipswich was good news for the festival.

“While the lockdown continues in Brisbane for another 24 hours, this will have no impact on events here,” Ms Harding said.

“In this ever-changing environment, Council purposely designed the event to be adaptable and flexible in case of escalation of Covid.

“The festival can be scaled up or down depending on whether regulations change.”

The 11-day event comprises 91 events and involves 335 artists, including 189 locals.

Ipswich City Council’s community facilities, including libraries, Ipswich Art Gallery, Ipswich Civic Centre and Fire Station 101 will reopen after the lockdown ends.

The Ipswich Nature Centre and Queens Park Education Centre will also reopen.

Public pools, including the Orion Lagoon at Robelle Domain, will resume normal opening hours from Saturday.

State restrictions, including mask wearing, will continue to apply until July 13 at 1am.

Masks must be worn in indoor and outdoor spaces, including in shopping centres; indoor workplaces; on public transport, taxis and rideshare, and in airports and while travelling on planes.

Statewide restrictions on aged care, hospitals, disability care and correctional facilities will continue to apply with no personal visitors allowed.

Gatherings will be limited to 30 people in one home, including the occupants.

Five new Covid-19 cases were detected between Thursday and Friday with two detected in hotel quarantine and the other three locally acquired in Brisbane.

The lockdown has been extended by 24 hours for Brisbane and the Moreton Bay and, at this stage, is set to end at 6pm on Saturday.

Read more news by Ebony Graveur.