Queensland Covid-19 live updates: Sweeping new restrictions as Delta outbreak grows, and lockdown is still on the cards

Millions of Queenslanders will be subjected to tough new restrictions, but if they don’t stop an outbreak, a lockdown is likely.

Queensland is teetering on the edge of yet another snap lockdown as the state’s Covid-19 outbreak continues to worsen.

Millions of people will be subjected to returning restrictions from Thursday afternoon, as contact tracers struggle with a rapidly widening investigation.

Six new locally acquired cases were recorded in the past 24 hours – four linked to the aviation cluster – and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk warned certain triggers could plunge the southeast corner, and a major region in the north, into lockdown.

But for now, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Logan, Townsville and Palm Island will return to stage two restrictions from 4pm on Thursday for the next two weeks.

That means no more than 30 people will be allowed in homes, a cap of 100 attendees at wedding and funeral caps of 100, a one person per four square metres cap in restaurant and cafes, and a requirement for those at hospitality venues to remain seated while eating and drinking.

People must also wear face masks while inside all venues, unless seated and eating or drinking.

And the rules will force crowd capacity at this weekend’s NRL Grand Final to be slashed by 25 per cent.

“The next 24 to 48 hours are going to be very critical,” Ms Palaszczuk said, as fears of an inevitable lockdown grow.

Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced the return of stage two restrictions in a number of areas. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

Premier defends NRL decision

The Premier has rejected suggestions she’s delaying a lockdown to enable the NRL Grand Final to be hosted in Brisbane this weekend.

“Absolutely none,” Ms Palaszczuk said when asked if the major event factored into her decision-making.

“Let me make it very clear that the health of Queenslanders comes first and as soon as Dr Young says we need to move into a lockdown, we will.”

Race to avoid snap lockdown

Chief health officer Jeannette Young has issued a stark warning that seeding of the virus is causing concern among health authorities, Ms Palaszczuk revealed.

“Our vaccination rates are up. People are checking in. But as soon as we see further seeding, which is not from people who are in isolation, then they will be the trigger points Dr Young will look at (for a lockdown),” she warned.

“We want to make sure this is not seeding in the community. We’ve got to put these restrictions in place to avoid a lockdown at this stage.

“I’m quite sure we’ll be able to get through this, like we did previously, if everyone does the right thing.”

High testing numbers are also crucial and anyone with even the mildest of symptoms to come forward immediately.

The experience in other states over recent months has shown how quickly the Delta variant can get out of hand.

“I am concerned, that’s why I recommended to the Premier this morning that we should go to stage two restrictions,” Dr Young said.

Ms Palaszczuk urged Queenslanders to continue coming forward to get vaccinated. Effective immediately, all Queensland Health vaccination centres will accept walk-ins, with no bookings needed.

“Getting vaccinated will help protect you and your loved ones, and reduce the risk of spread in the community,” she said.

Queensland’s chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young says officials are desperately trying to trace movements. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Aviation cluster continues to grow

The Brisbane aviation cluster has grown again, with a pilot who flew into Townsville in the state’s north testing positive.

After arriving on September 21, he spent time out in the community while infectious, and was staying at a city hotel. The Townsville Bulletin reports the man is now in hospital.

Three other cases today are linked to the aviation cluster.

It’s believed that outbreak was sparked at a meeting of airline staff in Brisbane on September 20, Dr Young said.

All up, there are now 22 active cases of Covid-19 in Queensland.

Contributing to the complicated war against this new outbreak was the case of a Sydney truck driver who tested positive in Brisbane.

He is now under police investigation after he allegedly remained in Queensland for almost two weeks after arriving on September 16. He allegedly visited a number of food outlets and pubs over the space of a week, but failed to check-in using the mandatory QR code system.

Police allege he refused to co-operate with health officials and they had to rely on his credit card transactions to build a picture of where he had gone.

A McDonald’s restaurant in South Bank is one of a number of Covid-19 exposure sites. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

A number of new venues of concern

There are now a growing number of exposure sites. Contact tracers are struggling to get on top of a skyrocketing number of movements.

Late on Wednesday night, a flurry of new exposure sites were ­released by Queensland Health that included venues at popular shopping centres in the suburbs of Cannon Hill and Carindale.