Two "reckless" teens who dodged quarantine after returning from Melbourne infected with coronavirus are being investigated by police for allegedly lying on their border declaration form.
The 19-year-old women, who flew back from Melbourne via Sydney on July 21 after travelling together, were active in the community for eight days before isolating.
Shopping centres, restaurants, a school, and a church will shut while authorities scramble to conduct contact tracing.
Scores of the women's contacts will be forced to isolate, and aged care facilities in the Metro South Health region will re-enter lock down as the state tries to avoid an outbreak.
"We need people to tell the truth. That's all I can say. This has been done to protect yourself as an individual, your family and the community," Queensland's Chief Health Officer Jeanette Young told reporters on Wednesday.
"I'm very, very disappointed. I think it was reckless."
"They've been out and about for eight days with symptoms."
The pair, from Acacia Ridge and Logan, are being treated in the Princess Alexandra Hospital.
Authorities are urging anyone on the south side of Brisbane with symptoms to be tested immediately.
"We have responded in Queensland to situations like this before - the Cairns pathology lab, the north Rockhampton nursing home - and because of our responses we have been able to contain cases like this and suppress any community transmission," Health Minister Steven Miles said.
"(But) the most important message here is that anyone with any concern on the south side of Brisbane, but particularly in those Logan and Springfield regions, should go and get tested."
Authorities are now conducting a criminal investigation into whether the women lied on their border declaration form about where they had been before entering Queensland.
Parklands Christian College in southeast Queensland. Source: Parklands Christian College
Queensland shut its borders to all people from Victoria on July 10 after the southern state's cases escalated.
Returning Queenslanders who have spent any time in Victoria in the 14 days before coming home must quarantine in a hotel at their own expense.
State Disaster Co-ordinator and Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said the women should have been in quarantine.
"At this stage, the initial investigations indicate there are incorrect details on border decoration passes ... the investigation will look at whether that was deliberate or otherwise," he told reporters.
If they are found to have deliberately lied on their border declaration, the women are facing thousands of dollars in fines or six months in jail.
The cases have forced a private school, where one of the women worked as a cleaner, to close for disinfecting.
Parklands Christian College Principal Gary Cully said the school has worked with Queensland Health to identify a number of other staff members who need to isolate as a precaution.
"We believe that the person in question has had limited contact with students and the wider college community," his statement said.
"Our children and staff are like family, and we are doing everything possible to keep them safe now and in the future; that includes fully co-operating with (the) Metro South Public Health Unit."
A fever clinic will be set up at the college - which caters for students from prep to year 12 - for testing of students, other employees and any concerned community members.
Queensland has six active COVID-19 cases.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your state’s restrictions on gathering limits.
If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, stay home and arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
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