Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has confirmed that the Greater Brisbane area will be coming out of lockdown at midday today, several hours ahead of schedule, just in time for the Easter break.
QLD recorded just one new community transmitted case of COVID-19 yesterday, however that case has already been linked to the known cluster. That, in combination with high testing numbers, has given state health officials confidence that the snap lockdown on Brisbane can be lifted safely.
Fronting media moments ago, Premier Palaszczuk stated that the two key conditions for ending lockdown had been met, and that Queenslanders can resume some semblance of normality with confidence that the recent coronavirus cluster has been brought under control.
Palaszczuk confirmed that over 34,000 tests have been conducted, and that the number of confirmed cases is once again low.
“We have one community-acquired case but is linked to one of the known clusters. That is fantastic news,” she stated.
“As I said yesterday, we are looking at two preconditions before we can lift the lockdown. Those two preconditions is that there needed to be no unlinked community transmission and the second was high testing rates. Well, I can also thank Queenslanders because Queenslanders have come out in their thousands to be tested. Thank you, thank you, thank you. There have been 34,711 tests. Another record. So that is good news for Queensland and Easter is good to go.”
The decision to bring the lockdown end time forward from the previously-planned 5pm has been done to avoid creating bottlenecks on Queensland roads as people embark on Easter travel, Palaszczuk confirmed.
While the hard lockdown conditions will be lifted in Brisbane, some additional coronavirus restrictions will remain in place across all of Queensland.
For the next two weeks, beginning at midday today, Queenslanders will be required to carry a face mask whenever they leave the house, and wear it in indoor spaces such as shopping centres, supermarkets, and on public transport.
Hospitality will return to seated-only service, with “vertical consumption” in pubs off the cards for the next little while. Indoor gatherings will also remain capped at 30 people.
