Queensland introduces tough new restrictions effective IMMEDIATELY as it suffers first community infections in a month after a youth detention staffer went to work sick
- Queensland reported nine new coronavirus cases on Saturday, six at a centre
- It marks the Sunshine State's first community infections in more than a month
- Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk immediately imposed tough new restrictions
Six additional COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in a burgeoning cluster at Brisbane's youth detention centre, prompting Queensland health authorities to limit indoor and outdoor gatherings.
Queensland reported nine new cases on Saturday, three of which in crew members on cruise ships and the other six connected to the detention centre.
The cases mark Queensland's first locally-acquired transmissions in more than a month.
Children at the Wacol centre remain in lockdown and tests continue after a worker was diagnosed on Wednesday.
The 77-year-old Ipswich woman had experienced mild symptoms and continued to work while infectious.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured) on Saturday announced that indoor and outdoor gatherings in the state's southeast would immediately be capped at 10 people.
Pressure mounts on the government to relax Queensland's hard border closure amid concerns for the health needs of NSW-Queensland border communities (pictured, the border in July)
The centre's 127 residents have been in lockdown since Wednesday evening.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Saturday announced that indoor and outdoor gatherings in the state's southeast would immediately be capped at 10 people. There would be a 30-person limit on gatherings elsewhere in the state.
'We're concerned about this (detention centre) cluster because people have been out and about in the community,' Ms Palaszczuk told reporters.
The centre will not be taking new admissions and all face-to-face visits and court appearances have been cancelled, with all residents and staff present since August 8 to be checked.
Aged care homes have also been put on lockdown.
The cluster at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre (pictured) has swelled to seven cases, prompting the new lockdown
Authorities face a nervous wait to to discover if the latest cases are linked to an outbreak triggered by two Logan women who dodged quarantine following a visit to Melbourne in June.
Queensland chief medical officer Dr Jeannette Young on Saturday said the new cases were residents of Bundamba, Marsden, Carindale, North Ipswich and Forest Lake.
Meanwhile, pressure mounts on the government to relax Queensland's hard border closure amid concerns for the health needs of NSW-Queensland border communities.
'Lives are really being disrupted and you've got to ask why when the medical advice is not saying that is what is needed,' Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton told the Nine Network.
Dr Young on Friday denied elimination was the state's COVID-19 strategy.
The Queensland government has been accused of disrupting people's lives with their tough border closures (pictured, the border checkpoint with NSW on August 7)
