Two new community cases of Covid-19 detected in Queensland today have been infectious in the community for a week, it’s been revealed, as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced new restrictions for the state.
The Brisbane pair had visited “a lot of sites throughout the community” since becoming infectious, including gyms, shopping centres and a workplace on the Sunshine Coast.
From 6am tomorrow, a maximum of 10 visitors will be permitted at household gatherings and the two-square metre rule will be reintroduced for venues.
Currently, up to 100 people are allowed inside households in Queensland.
The premier said the restrictions will remain in place for the duration of Greater Sydney’s two-week lockdown, as the state works to keep any infections crossing its border.
She also ramped up her message on cross-border travel, urging Queenslanders to avoid going anywhere in New South Wales.
“We have been saying for a week now for people not to go into Sydney, but now we are saying very clearly reconsider any travel to NSW, especially during this lockdown period,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
Any residents who have visited Greater Sydney and its surrounds in the previous 14 days will be subject to stay-at-home orders.
Today’s new local Queensland infections are not thought to be the Delta strain of the virus currently gripping Sydney, but rather the Alpha variant, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.
However, genome sequencing is still underway.
One of the infected individuals was working at the DFO store at Brisbane Airport when it was visited by an infectious flight attendant last Saturday, but it’s not believed that it where they were infected.
Instead, Chief Health Officer Dr Jeanette Young said health authorities think the person may be linked to a Portuguese restaurant where the woman dined and which has already been confirmed as the source of a number of other infections.
“We know that they are known to friends of some of the people who attended that Portuguese restaurant (where the same woman dined),” Chief Health Officer Dr Jeanette Young said.
“So we suspect that’s where the linkage has happened.”
The new case did not themselves attend the restaurant.
