Southeast Queensland lockdown to end, new Cairns restrictions announced

Lockdown will end for 11 LGAs in the state’s south east today, but a new case in Cairns has raised alarm and sparked new restrictions.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk briefs the media. Picture: Dan Peled

As Queensland’s southeast emerged from lockdown on Sunday afternoon, Cairns and Yarrabah in the state’s far north entered a snap three-day lockdown after the discovery of a mystery case.

Nine exposure sites have been linked to a taxi driver who was infectious in the Cairns community for 10 days, triggering the circuit-breaker lockdown from 4pm Sunday afternoon.

The resident of Kanimbla, in suburban Cairns, is believed to have been infectious in the community for up to 10 days, with several members of their household currently being tested after showing symptoms.

Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young said there was “a real risk this could have already spread”.

“I think the risk is reasonably high,” Dr Young said.

“I can’t afford to wait to do any further risk assessment. If I were to wait another 24 hours, that is another 24 hours people may have been infectious out and about.”

While the person had not been to Yarrabah, a remote Indigenous community south of Cairns, it has been included in the lockdown to stop the mixing of people from both areas.

It is unclear if the infection is linked to a fully vaccinated reef pilot who tested positive last week.

The Cairns case was one of nine announced across the state on Sunday. Seven of the infections were linked to the Indooroopilly cluster in Brisbane’s western suburbs which now totals 109 people, 69 of which are under the age of 19.

As Cairns readied for its first lockdown since the nationwide order in March last year, the eight-day lockdown in the state’s southeast corner came to an end at 4pm across all 11 local government areas.

In her first press conference since returning from Tokyo two weeks ago, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk urged against becoming complacent, warning the state was not “out of the woods” just yet.

“We have to go on what the best advice is, from the chief health officer, about going hard and going fast,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“Queenslanders should be under no illusion that we don’t know when the next lockdown is going to be.”

Masks will remain in place when leaving the home, with 10 people allowed to visit residential residences.

Hospitality venues and places of worship have been given the green light to open their doors, alongside non-essential retail, hairdressers, gyms, ­convention centres and beauty and personal-care establishments but all will need to abide by the one person per 4sq m rule.

Weddings and funerals will be capped at 20 people.

Community sport fixtures will not be permitted for the next two weeks.

In response to the current Brisbane school outbreak, all teaching staff will now be required to wear masks, with educators to receive fast-tracked vaccines.

High school students, regardless of age, will also be required to wear masks, with no change as yet for primary school aged children.

Another case was identified on the Gold Coast but Dr Young said the level of virus in the person was very low, suggesting limited possibility of spread.