Southeast Qld plunged into another lockdown from 4pm today

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• By Avi Yemini

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South-East Queensland will enter a three day lockdown from 4pm July 31 after six new cases of the Delta variant were recorded. Queensland has seven active cases.

The Delta cluster began with a school student and spread rapidly to their close contacts. To contain the outbreak, eleven LGA areas have been placed into a lockdown which is due to end at 4pm on Tuesday.

It is the strictest lockdown that Queensland has experienced during the pandemic.

“We have seen from the experience in other states that the only way to beat the Delta strain is to move quickly, to be fast, and to be strong,” said Deputy Premier Steven Miles.

All sports have been cancelled including the AFL and NRL. Citizens are confined to a 10km radius of their home except for essential activities.

The LGAs under lockdown are:

• Moreton Bay
• Gold Coast
• Ipswich
• Lockyer Valley
• Logan City
• Noosa Shire
• Redland City
• Scenic Rim
• Somerset
• Sunshine Coast

Deputy Premier Steven Miles made the announcement this morning, as Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk remains in hotel quarantine following her return from the Tokyo Olympics. The Premier attracted a large amount of criticism when she was granted a travel exemption to secure Brisbane's solitary bid from the 2032 Olympics. Palaszczuk previously petitioned the federal government to cut its already severe travel restrictions by up to 70%.

“There will be no visitors to homes within those LGAs. Funerals and weddings will be restricted to 10 people within those eleven LGAs from 4pm today. Non-essential businesses will not be permitted to open. Hospitality – pubs, clubs, cafes – will be restricted to takeaway only. Cinemas, entertainment venues, hairdressers, gyms, places of worship will all be closed," said the Deputy Premier.

These restrictions apply to anyone who was within the LGAs even if they were only visiting. The Deputy Premier urged people not to rush grocery stores as they will remain open during the lockdown.

The lifting of the restrictions will be subject to the progress of the virus and could be extended.

“If you are thinking about going out, please stay home if you can. If you are out and about now, please go home if you can.”

From 4pm today 11 South-East Queensland local government areas will enter a hard lockdown until 4pm on Tuesday August 3.

Please don't leave your home except for the below reasons, and if you are sick, stay home and get tested. pic.twitter.com/JLKkEyVq3t

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) July 31, 2021

Dr Jeannette Young, the Chief Health Officer of Queensland, elaborated on the nature of the new cases.

“We had six new community-acquired cases yesterday, so there are now seven in that cluster and they were related to two people who returned from overseas and were in hotel quarantine. So there are now nine linked cases.”

Five of these cases are in one household linked to a 17 year-old. Another is a medical student at the University of Queensland who is also the 17 year-old's tutor. The medical student has recently been to many locations including hospitals and schools which are currently being released as key exposure sites.

The Chief Health Office expects there to be ‘an enormous number of exposure sites’ due to how many places the members of the Covid positive household have been.

After telling people to stay home unless absolutely necessary, the Chief Health Officer then told people to go out and get their second dose of the Covid vaccine, even if under lockdown. Facilities will make provisions to accommodate those under lockdown who are due for their second vaccine shot.