Residents in Greater Brisbane will be under stay-at-home orders for the next three days beginning later today at 5pm. The Brisbane outbreak has expanded by four cases in the last 24 hours to seven confirmed infections. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the lockdown is necessary to contain the UK variant of COVID-19.
"I know it is very tough. We have Easter coming up, we have school holidays coming up. But let's do it now and let's do it right and let's see if we can come through it at the other end. It is the UK strain - highly infectious - and the last thing I want to see is our most vulnerable in our community or people ending up in our COVID wards in our hospitals. So this is a protective measure but it's absolutely the right thing to do based on the health advice."
Queensland's Chief Health Officer, Dr Jeanette Young, says there will only be four reasons for greater Brisbane residents to leave the home.
"Of course for essential work, and to buy essential supplies - food, medications and so forth. To look after a vulnerable person, and for exercise. And people, as in the past, can have up to two visitors to their home. And they can go out and exercise in a family group or if they're by themselves, with one other person from different family group."
Restrictions are also being imposed in broader Queensland, after one of the new cases travelled to Gladstone.
A mum of three, Ro-Em Anne Andea- Frogson, is not worried about their daily needs however, she admitted she's anxious about her family's safety. Now that the they are facing a more infectious kind of COVID virus and most residents still ignore health protocols.
“ Now we are doing stocking, we stock for fortnight, we don’t have to worry about our food and necessities because we have it already, I think this COVID is teaching you to be one step ahead, it’s a bit scary and alarming, you know and people don’t follow protocols and rules from the health department that’s quite triggering”
The 3-day lockdown will include areas such as Ipswich, Logan, Redlands, Moreton and Brisbane council areas.
Schools will close from tomorrow and people in Greater Brisbane will only be able to leave their homes for essential reasons like grocery shopping, exercise, work and medical care. For the rest of Queensland, masks should be worn while indoors except at home and private gatherings are restricted to 30 people.
