Qld coronavirus: Latest information on COVID-19 in Queensland

The Brisbane virus cluster has spread to the Gold Coast, with two new cases recorded in the north of the city. It means new restrictions on the Coast from 8am tomorrow, while Schoolies has been cancelled.

THE Brisbane COVID-19 cluster has spread to the Gold Coast, with two new cases recorded in Pimpama overnight linked to the Queensland Corrections training facility.

A third new case has also been recorded in the Logan suburb of Forest Lake.

The first case relating to the facility - a 60-year-old training officer - was announced on Thursday.

Two of the new cases - who carpool to work together - were in the dining room at the facility when it’s thought they came into contact with the original case. The third new case attended a training day.

It means new restrictions for the Gold Coast. From 8am tomorrow, only 10 people will be allowed inside and outside for gatherings on the Gold Coast.

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Also on the Gold Coast, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Schoolies has been deemed a high-risk event and will not be going ahead as it usually would.

Ms Palaszczuk said it was a tough year for everyone and that hopefully there could be a “double celebration” next year.

“It is about the health of everyone,” she said.

Ms Palaszczuk said there would be nothing wrong with small groups of young people booking accommodation at places close to where they live, but the official event of Schoolies was cancelled.

Limits will be placed on gatherings in streets, beaches and apartments for when Schoolies is usually held.

In relation to the three new cases, Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said they all had

“extremely mild symptoms” and she wasn’t sure how it had spread to the Gold Coast.

“We’re just working that through at the moment,” she said.

Dr Young said she felt for Year 12 students, conceding it was a very important year for them.

She said this group was one of the most resilient and innovative and that they would find out ways to celebrate.

“There will still be celebrations ... there should be,” she said.

The three new cases come after two new cases of the virus were announced yesterday, one of them a training officer for the state’s prisons system, who had worked at a facility at Wacol.

It resulted in prisons in the southeast and as far north as Rockhampton being placed into lockdown, with the movement of inmates severely restricted.

The source of the prison trainer’s infection is being investigated, but it may be tied to a cluster surrounding the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre at Wacol.

Deputy Premier and Health Minister Steven Miles said there were 20 active cases.

He said the high number of tests being undertaken means the turnaround time for results is now just over 40 hours.

Dr Young urged people to get tested, urging them not to “soldier on”.

She said she knew Queenslanders were hardworkers and wanted to go to work to support their mates, but this time staying home was the best way to help colleagues.

Originally published as Qld coronavirus: Latest information on COVID-19 in Queensland