Two new southeast Queensland cases as Brisbane Youth Detention centre cluster grows

Queensland has recorded two new cases, including a baby boy, overnight as a cluster linked to the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre grows. Tough new COVID restrictions remain in place.

Queensland has recorded two new cases of COVID-19, including a baby boy, as the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre cluster grows.

It means there are now nine cases linked to the latest outbreak.

A public health alert will be released for a number of locations across southeast Queensland later today.

Both of the new cases are related to the seven cases announced yesterday, Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young.

Dr Young said both of the new cases – which included a baby who Queensland Health says had not been in child or family daycare – were “related” to one of the seven cases already announced.

“So we don’t have any expansion of that cluster, which is good news,” she said.

“But it’s far, far too early for us to relax.”

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Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at a press conference at Parliament House. Picture: Tara Croser.

Dr Young said it was critical that anyone with symptoms over the next week got tested.

“We will continue to test all of the youth in the centre,” she said.

“There is just a few outstanding.”

Dr Young said there were about 500 staff who worked at the centre, and that some worked in other workplaces.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk this morning said 6875 people had been tested in past 24 hours.

She said there have been 202 results from staff at the Youth Detention Centre that have come back negative as well as more than 100 negative results from the young people.

Ms Palaszczuk is speaking from Parliament House almost 24 hours after a new cluster of COVID-19 cases in southeast Queensland that has triggered tough new restrictions.

“This is going to be tough on a lot of families,” Ms Palaszczuk said, referring to the new restrictions including aged care home lock downs.

“As soon as we can lift those restrictions, we will.”

The Premier said it was safe to visit businesses because they have COVID safe plans.

Ms Palaszczuk urged the public to look at the list of places visited by the infected people to see if they have been to any of the listed places.

She said it was important that anyone with any symptoms went and got tested.

Ms Palaszczuk said the list was too comprehensive to read out.

There are currently more than 3,000 people in hotel quarantine

Police say compliance on the new restrictions, including the 10-person limit in homes, had overall been good.

Authorities have warned more positive cases will be uncovered in the coming days as contact tracers work around the clock to document the movements of those infected.

Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said 56 flights have come into Queensland in the past 24 hours.

A total of 2998 passengers have been processed with five people refused entry, while 3072 vehicles were intercepted at the border and 162 people were turned around.

A total of 271 people have been put in quarantine in the past 24 hours, meaning some 3013 people are currently being held in hotel quarantine in Queensland.

Police issued two on the spot fine for people misusing the border passes – “trying to get into Queensland which they weren’t entitled to do”.

Youth Justice director general Bob Gee said the Wacol Youth Detention centre would swap in an entirely new workforce

“The young people are moving in and out of their cells in a very structured and targeted way so that they’re not just in their rooms … doing activities like table tennis et cetera.

“Can I assure their families that they are getting the best support.”

The State Government in response has enforced new COVID restrictions, with gatherings in homes and public places in the Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, Scenic Rim, Lockyer Valley, Moreton Bay, Somerset and Redlands regions restricted to a maximum of 10 people.

Aged care and disability care facilities in those regions shut their doors to visitors on Saturday morning and will remain closed for two weeks.

Outside the Greater Brisbane region gatherings will be restricted to 30 in public places and homes.

Originally published as Two new southeast Queensland cases as Brisbane Youth Detention centre cluster grows