Queensland’s Lockdown Has Been Extended Until Sunday & That Means The Ekka’s Been Cancelled

Queensland lockdown

The lockdown in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the rest of Southeast Queensland – which was supposed to end on Tuesday – has been extended until 4pm on Sunday after the state recorded 13 new cases of COVID-19 in the community overnight.

The restrictions mean that people can only leave the house to shop for essentials, do essential work, exercise within 10km of home, care for a vulnerable person or seek medical attention. On top of that, schools will switch to home learning from Tuesday in an attempt to keep as many people home as possible.

“It’s starting to become clear that the initial lockdown will be insufficient for the outbreak,” Deputy Premier Steven Miles said on Monday morning.

“So we’re advising south-east Queenslanders in the 11 LGAs that the lockdown will be extended until 4pm on Sunday. That will make it an eight-day lockdown.”

The extended lockdown also means Brisbane’s Ekka scheduled to open on Friday will be called off this year.

It marks the second year in a row that the state’s biggest agricultural show has been cancelled for health reasons, which has devastated exhibitors.

“I know that’s sad and disappointing for many, many Queenslanders who love their annual ritual, their annual trip to the Ekka,” the Deputy Premier added.

“We just can’t afford to have an event like that where people travel into town, circulate in large numbers. The risk is just too great.”

The state’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said these restrictions constituted the hardest lockdown Queensland had ever seen.

“If you are in an office today, why aren’t you at home? There are far too many cars out on the road when I drove in this morning,” she added.

You heard the CHO. Unless it’s absolutely necessary to do something, stay the heck home.


All adult Aussies (yep, even if those of us under 40) are currently able to get the safe and effective AstraZeneca vaccine through a GP. Talk to a doctor to see if it’s right for you.

Alternatively, you can triple-check to see if you’re eligible for the Pfizer vaccine here.

The best vaccine is the first one you can get, and that’ll be our ticket out of this mess.

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