Masks return as Queensland posts three new COVID cases
Jeannette Young said she considered the truck drivers to be low risk.
Coronavirus restrictions will be introduced into Queensland after the state recorded three new cases of COVID-19 overnight.
Two of those were acquired locally and one was acquired overseas and detected in hotel quarantine.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed a miner who returned from the Northern Territory has the Delta strain of coronavirus.
One case is in home quarantine and the miner, a woman from the Bli Bli area on the Sunshine Coast, has the Delta strain.
The Premier said people should start wearing masks now.
From 1am Tuesday, masks will be mandatory in Noosa, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Logan, Redlands, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Scenic Rim, Lockyer Valley and Somerset local government areas.
The developing situation also prompted Deputy Premier Steven Miles to call on the federal government to crack down on overseas arrivals.
‘Only in the community for one day’
Chief health officer Jeannette Young said the female miner was one of the 170 FIFO workers based in Brisbane who had worked at the NT mine.
“We are rapidly testing all 170,” Dr Young said.
She said the female miner got tested immediately after being contacted.
“She was only out in the community for one day. She was with her family and they started a road trip that immediately came back.”
Dr Young said there were also multiple flights that needed contact tracing completed after a flight attendant tested positive for the Delta variant.
Venues will return to one person per four square metres while small venues can remain at one person per two square metres.
Masks to be worn at work again
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said the Delta variant needed only “fleeting contact” for someone to be infected.
She said she wanted to see high numbers of tests in coming days.
“We want you, if you have any symptoms, to go and get tested.”
Masks must be worn in workplaces unless you are in a room by yourself.
They are not needed while outside exercising, unless doing so with someone from a different household.
There is a $200 fine for not wearing masks when required.
Dancing has once again been banned and only 30 people are allowed inside homes.
Dr Young said she was not yet changing the capacity allowed at ticketed and seated events, but underlined the seriousness of the situation.
“We’ve got enormous risks throughout our state,” she said.
Dr Young asked any businesses not using the Check In Queensland app to do so immediately.
“It is vital that everyone checks in wherever they go,” she said.
Check ins will be mandatory not only in hospitality venues but at a longer list including shopping centres from July 9.
Authorities want people and businesses to use it now.
Dr Young said although businesses probably would not be fined for the next fortnight, she hoped they would adhere to the rules “because it’s the right thing to do for the community”.
Dr Young also praised organisers for their handling of Sunday night’s State of Origin match in Brisbane.
“I’m thrilled last night, at the State of Origin, we had 56,000 people check in there.
“That was just done so well.”
‘Our international borders are supposed to be closed’
Mr Miles took aim at the federal government, saying too many people were being allowed into the country and hotel quarantine “is not working”.
“Hotel quarantine is our single greatest source of COVID into our country and into our communities,” he said.
“We have been saying for months and months and months now that hotel quarantine is not working.
“Our international borders are supposed to be closed right now and yet somehow the number of people waiting to come to Australia from around the world hasn’t really gone down since Christmas, despite thousands of arrivals each and every week.
“I think the federal government needs to be stricter with the exemptions they’re providing to people to come here.”
