New restrictions come into effect for Queensland as youth detention centre outbreak grows.
South-East Queensland is facing new restrictions after recording nine cases of coronavirus overnight, with six linked to the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre at Wacol, where a 77-year-old supervisor tested positive for the virus earlier this week.
Key points:
More than 500 workers and 127 inmates are being tested
Greater Brisbane will now allow a maximum of 10 people to gather at home or outdoors
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says she fears the cluster could be widespread
The Wacol facility, west of Brisbane, was put into lockdown on Thursday , with a total of seven cases now linked to the cluster.
More than 500 workers and 127 inmates are being tested for the virus — 56 results have so far come back negative.
As a result of the cluster, strict new restrictions will be imposed on gatherings in South-East Queensland.
Regions affected by restrictions:
Brisbane
Ipswich
Logan
Scenic Rim
Lockyer Valley
Somerset
Moreton
Redlands
Gatherings at homes across greater Brisbane will be limited to a maximum of 10 people from today.
This means if you are a family of five, you are only permitted to have five visitors in your home.
If you are a household of 10 people, you are unable to have any visitors to your home.
Outdoor gatherings will also be limited to 10 people.
The regions affected by the restrictions are: Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, Scenic Rim, Lockyer Valley, Somerset, Moreton and Redlands.
Facilities that have COVID-safe plans, including cafes, restaurants and gyms, will not be affected by the restrictions.
The rest of Queensland will be limited to 30 people.
Health authorities still do not know where the supervisor — a 77-year-old woman — contracted the illness.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she feared the cluster could be widespread.
Aged care homes in the regions will also go into lockdown.
The new cases include:
A man who works at the Wacol facility who lives at Marsden
A man who works at the Wacol facility and also for QBuild at the Springwood School, who lives in Carindale
A man who works at the Wacol facility who lives in North Ipswich and also works in a disability accommodation service
A female worker at the Wacol facility who lives in Forest Lake
A wife of a worker at the Wacol facility
A relative of a worker at the Wacol facility who is in the Ipswich Hospital
Nine new cases for Queensland
Queensland recorded a total of nine coronavirus cases overnight, with the three not linked to the youth detention centre linked to cargo ships off the coast of Townsville.
Those infected with the virus on cargo ships have since been transported to Townsville Hospital.
“We are not worried about the crew members on the ships because they are being taken care of and there they are no concern to us,” the Premier said.
Ms Palaszczuk said more information would be released throughout the day with details on where the new cases had been in the community.
“As we get that information we will absolutely be letting the community know,” she said.
“We’re concerned about any contacts these people might have had.
“Let’s also bear in mind too that we may get further cases of workers at the detention centre.”
Jeannette Young, Queensland’s Chief Health Medical Officer, says this weekend will be a crucial time for Brisbane.(ABC: Phoebe Hosier)
Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said there was a significant chance more cases would be detected over the coming days.
She said it was essential people got tested if they were feeling unwell.
“Everyone should think about their personal COVID-safe plan, and if they’re in that vulnerable group, start thinking about how they can manage themselves,” she said.
The aged care lockdown restricts any visitors, and will also impact disability accommodation services.
Staff at the Ipswich Hospital, where one of the new cases had recently been, have all been asked to use personal protective equipment (PPE) until the cluster was under control.
Emergency Department staff in all hospitals across the greater Brisbane area have also been asked to wear PPE for all patients.
Dr Young said the measures were “ultra cautious” but needed to stem any spread of the illness.
“I want every Queenslander, particularly those in greater Brisbane, to be ultra cautious this weekend,” Dr Young said.
“This is maybe the weekend to have a weekend at home.
“We’ll get through this together, I’m very confident we will, if everybody listens to the messaging and we all play our part to keep everyone safe.
“The key is social distancing.
“This weekend if you are going to a shopping centre and there is no social distancing, you should leave immediately.”
Yesterday, Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles said the infected supervisor “mostly went to and from work”.
“But we’re just working with her to identify where else she might have been and who else might have been exposed, but the main priority right now is testing people at the detention centre.”
Queensland Corrective Services has also suspended personal visits at all South-East Queensland prisons, including Arthur Gorrie, Borallon and Wolston correctional centres.
The Department of Youth Justice said plans were in place to ensure staff and detainees have the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and still receive support in terms of health, education and contact with family.
