NRL grand final on alert for venue shift

High testing rates will be critical to determine whether southeast Queensland will be plunged into another lockdown and Sunday‘s NRL grand final relocated.

Latrell Mitchell, left, and Josh Mansour, centre, at the Rabbitohs training session on the Gold Coast on Tuesday. Picture: Getty Images

High testing rates will be critical to determine whether southeast Queensland will be plunged into another lockdown and Sunday‘s NRL grand final relocated after separate outbreaks were detected in Brisbane.

Four cases were confirmed on Tuesday, the most concerning being an unvaccinated truck driver who spent eight days in the community while symptomatic.

Chief health officer Jeannette Young said authorities were now trying to manage outbreaks in “a different way” and avoid lockdowns.

Previously, Dr Young ordered lockdowns if a single mystery case was found in the community, but she was now more “comfortable” because of good mask compliance and increasing vaccination rates.

“I do have a reasonable level of concern; I am also comforted by the fact that Queenslanders have done such a good job each time we have had an outbreak,” Dr Young said.

“I am also comfortable with the amount of testing … happening.

“But we will keep a very, very close eye on what happens over the next 24 to 48 hours to see if we need additional restrictions.”

The NRL is prepared to move Sunday’s grand final between the Panthers and Rabbitohs from Brisbane to Townsville if case numbers surge, but Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said it was not being considered “at this stage”.

“We will be updating the community every single day,” she added. “It is very early stages … and it will be critical for anyone who has symptoms to get tested.

“There is no need to panic because Queenslanders have been doing the right thing, especially in the southeast.”

Slightly tighter restrictions will be imposed in Brisbane and Moreton Bay council areas until Oct­ober 12 after “separate, unrelated clusters” were confirmed.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said masks must be worn indoors at all times and outdoors when people could social distance.

Visitors will be banned at prisons, hospitals, aged-care homes and disability facilities from Tuesday. “This is to protect the most vulnerable in our community,” Ms D’Ath said. “This virus is on our doorstep; please come forward and get tested.”

Authorities have held off imposing more drastic restrictions, with 100 people still able to congregate in homes and standing allowed in nightclubs, restaurants and bars.

The first case was a fully vaccinated man who worked at an aviation training facility and was unknowingly infectious in the community for three days. Case number two was his wife.

The third case was the truck driver, who stayed at two hotels in Spring Hill and a guesthouse in South Brisbane while contagious.

Case four was a person who tested positive five days after completing hotel quarantine, who, the Premier said, authorities were not “too concerned about” and could be a historical case.