Queensland records six new local Covid infections as new restrictions introduced

Queensland has recorded six new locally acquired Covid-19 infections and imposed new rules as multiple clusters emerge across the state.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will impose new restrictions on Thursday after the state recorded six new locally acquired Covid-19 cases.

The state is grappling to contain several clusters that have popped up in the state’s southeast this week while a new infection also emerged in the far north in Townsville.

Four of the new cases were linked to an aviation instructor reported earlier in the week who lives in Brisbane’s north, with chief health officer Jeannette Young confident the exposure was traced to a meeting at the airport on September 20.

The sixth case is a Brisbane woman who recently travelled to a hotspot in NSW.

Ms Palaszczuk has imposed new restrictions as new cases continue to grow. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

“That’s totally unrelated to that outbreak,” the top doctor told reporters.

“The woman who lives in Camp Hill who went down to Kyogle came into contact with a known case down there, returned home to Camp Hill and has been infectious in the community from September 25 to 28.

“I already have her whole genome sequence result back.

“She has the Delta variant and is not clustering with any other case in Queensland.”

The government has resisted the urge to lockdown the southeast but will shift the state’s response into “stage two”, with Dr Young concerned by the sheer number of live outbreaks.

“There are so many of them now,” she said.

“It’s a concern, so it’s important we put some restrictions back in place as I advised the Premier this morning.”

From Thursday 4pm, new restrictions will be introduced to Brisbane, Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Logan, Townsville and Palm Island.

BREAKING: From 4pm today, restrictions will be tightened in the Local Government Areas of Brisbane, Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Logan, Townsville and Palm Island. #covid19pic.twitter.com/CiXEr0wsNQ

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) September 30, 2021

Public and private gatherings will be limited to 30 people, cafes and restaurants returned to one person per 4sq m inside, stadiums decreased to 75 per cent capacity, and funerals and weddings restricted to 100 people, with a maximum of 20 dancing at weddings.

The new restrictions will mean the NRL grand final to be played in Brisbane on Sunday will have its crowd slashed by 25 per cent.

Health authorities are scrambling to contain the clusters as residents are urged to come forward for testing.

The list of exposure sites across the state’s southeast continues to soar, including a Virgin Australia flight as well as shopping centres in Carindale, Cannon Hill and Brisbane’s CBD.

For a full list of the exposure sites, visit the Queensland Health website here.