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Queensland records four new COVID-19 cases as school, childcare centre closed
The new infections have today prompted the temporary closure of an Ipswich school and a Brisbane childcare centre.
All four of the new cases are close contacts of previously known cases linked to a growing cluster at a youth detention centre and a correction services training academy in Wacol.
Three of the cases reside in the same household in Forest Lakes, while the fourth case lives in Collingwood Park.
Dr Young noted there had now cumulatively been 101 days’-worth of infectious cases out in the community in the past fortnight, saying she expected more cases in the coming days.
“Anyone who lives in that south-east corner should think of themselves as a casual contact,” she said.
“They might have been where one of our cases has been.”
Fig Tree Pocket Early Childhood Centre will stay closed for at least a week after a positive case of COVID-19 attended the centre last Friday, August 31.
All staff, children and their families are now being urged to get tested for COVID-19 and to self-isolate until they get their results back.
A school in Ipswich has also been closed after a student tested positive for coronavirus.
Staines Memorial College in Redbank Plains will be closed for at least a day while deep cleaning and contact tracing takes place.
Queensland also recorded four new coronavirus cases yesterday, as the government announced restrictions would be expanded to parts of the state’s south-east.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the coronavirus was taking a toll on everyone and she is concerned about people’s mental health.
“Everybody will be impacted in some way, whether it is not seeing friends or family as much as they used to, or with these restrictions in place, not being able to go and see your loved ones in aged care facilities or visit a close family friend who may be in hospital,” she said.
Palaszczuk not budging on border closures
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk remains unmoved over Queensland’s border closure policy.
“Our closure of our borders have been one of the most effective measures we have in combating this virus,” she said.
“We know that people wanted to open our borders earlier.
“We would have seen a situation that’s happening in Victoria happening in Queensland.”
Queensland is also still continuing discussions with the AFL over the potential hosting of this year’s Grand Final.
Ms Palaszczuk said she had her “fingers crossed” for Queensland if the AFL made the decision to move final out of Victoria.
Expanded COVID-19 restrictions from 8am Monday
The tighter government restrictions announced yesterday will include South Burnett, Southern Downs, Toowoomba, and Western Downs local government areas starting from 8am tomorrow.
“So we have brought in exactly the same restrictions for those areas as we now have in place for all of Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Gold Coast,” Dr Young said.
Those limitations include restrictions on visiting aged care homes and a limit of 10 people at gatherings outdoors and inside homes.
Dr Young said weddings and funerals can be conducted with up to 100 people, as long as a COVID-safe plan exists.
‘This is the time’ for masks
Queenslanders have been told “this is the time” to put on surgical face masks.
Dr Young has urged the state’s residents to wear masks in public if they cannot socially distance or are in a confined space.
“Over the last few days I’ve been saying to people this is the time to get out those … surgical masks that you can now buy anywhere,” she said.
“Or if you’ve made a mask with three layers of thickness, they are effective as well — not quite as effective, but they’re pretty good.”
She said masks should be worn inside shopping centres and taxis.
That includes a shared vehicle with someone not from your family, where Dr Young said masks are a safe option.
“Really think about using a mask to protect yourself and to protect others because you can’t socially distance in a car … and public transport.”
People should continue working from home if they can effectively do that, she said.
Roughly 5000 people in hotel quarantine in Queensland
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer has expressed sympathy for the roughly 5000 people still in hotel quarantine.
“I know it’s really hard for them,” Dr Jeannette Young said.
“But if they come out and they have the infection, we can see that one case can lead to multiple clusters.”
She said Queensland would not risk a Victoria-style outbreak.
There are 24 Queensland hotels currently being used for quarantine, supervised by health teams and police.
Source: 9News | News Colony
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