Coronavirus: Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk orders toughest lockdown

Fears about the widening ­exposure of community contact of a cleaner has prompted the toughest lockdown across Brisbane since the outbreak of the global pandemic.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in Brisbane on Friday announces the three-day lockdown. Picture: Tara Croser.

Fears about the widening ­exposure of community contact of a cleaner, infected with the highly-contagious UK variant of coronavirus, prompted the toughest lockdown across Brisbane since the outbreak of the global pandemic.

After months of no community transmissions and restrictions, Brisbane was put into a three-day lockdown on Friday and residents ordered to wear masks in moves likely to be extended next week.

The measures were ordered by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk after confirmation a cleaner in her 20s caught the UK variant while working a shift at a quarantine hotel in Brisbane’s inner city last Saturday.

It is the first case in Australia where a person has been outside of quarantine with the mutation, with the woman moving about the community for five days.

Health authorities determined she had contact with at least 79 people before testing positive for the virus, one of whom is of a major concern because of their subsequent widespread movement across the city.

Restrictions cover the council areas of Brisbane, Logan, Moreton, Ipswich and Redlands and, initially, will extend to 6pm on Monday.

The measures almost immediately sparked panic buying in ­supermarkets, with Woolworths and Coles later putting buying limits on some essential items.

Major highways out of Brisbane were gridlocked for most of the day as residents fled to the north and south coasts ahead of the Friday 6pm start of the restrictions despite Ms Palaszczuk’s plea for people to stay home.

Anyone who has visited Brisbane since Saturday and has moved on to other parts of the state or country will also be ­required to quarantine for the next three days.

National cabinet declared Greater Brisbane a hotspot and shut state borders.

Announcing the measures later endorsed by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Ms Palaszczuk said she was “going hard, and going early”’ in a bid to contain the highly-contagious strain.

“There are no second chances with this pandemic,” she said. “We have learned from Victoria, South Australia and NSW that a short, sharp lockdown is better than a long one and this a more contagious strain.

“Three days is better than 30.”

State Health Minister Yvette D’Ath later conceded the restrictions could be extended.

“Best-case scenario is we get to 6pm on Monday and we’ve had no additional community cases and we would love for that to be the result,” she said.

“And it means we can start moving out of restrictions much quicker. But of course worst-case scenario is we’re seeing more community transmission and looking at everything that could be in between.

“Because it’s not just about the numbers of cases; it’s also about whether we can trace everyone of those — whether there’s seeding happening which means whoever’s got it is passing it on to other people in broader areas.”

Masks will be mandatory in public and people are allowed out of home only to attend work if they can’t work from home, buy essentials such as groceries and medicine, look after the vulnerable and exercise within their neighbourhood.

Cafes, pubs and restaurants are restricted to supplying only takeaway food and beverage, with gyms, hair salons and non-essential shopping shut.

Community sport has also been placed on hold in Greater Brisbane for the next three days.

Two people can visit a home and anyone over 12 outside their home without a mask, faces a $200 fine.

Queensland Hotels Association chief executive Bernie Hogan said his members, which include major tourism and hospitality venues, “understood the necessity” of the measures.

“It is very difficult for our members but overall people are keen to contain this outbreak as quick as possible so we are not shutdown for one day longer is necessary,’’ he said.

Ryan Cameron, co-owner of the Strength Sanctuary at Stafford, in Brisbane’s north, is optimistic for a short lockdown and is grateful for the gym community rallying behind them.

“We have been through the two months or so of lockdowns before so three days is not too bad, hopefully we can just get it over and done with,’’ the 24-year-old said.