Shock new Covid case emerges in Queensland just hours after Annastacia Palaszczuk announced end to three-day lockdown - as anyone who shopped at a busy Coles supermarket is ordered to isolate NOW
- Man in his 50s from Sunshine Coast tested positive to coronavirus on Friday
- He'd worked at the Sippy Downs campus of the University of the Sunshine Coast
- Annastacia Palaszczuk said Brisbane will remain in lockdown for another day
- Friday afternoon's case comes after three infections were earlier recorded
Queensland has recorded another Covid-19 case after three infections were earlier revealed on Friday - forcing Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to announce Brisbane would remain in lockdown for another day.
The new case is in a man aged in his 50s from Aroona on the Sunshine Coast who received a positive result on Friday.
Health Minister Yvette D'Ath has urged anyone in the Caloundra, Mooloolaba, Sippy Downs or Maroochydore areas to get tested for even the mildest of symptoms.
'The man was only in the community while potentially infectious for two days before the lockdown began, at his workplace, and briefly during lockdown,' she tweeted.
'The man works at the Sippy Downs campus of the University of the Sunshine Coast and was at work on June 28 and June 29.
'He had minimal contact with others so it will not be listed as a contact tracing site, but as always, anyone with symptoms, come forward for testing immediately.'
The health minister also urged anyone who shopped at the Coles supermarket in Sippy Downs on June 29 between 8.15am and 8.35am to get tested.
Queensland has recorded another Covid-19 case late on Friday afternoon with the Coles in Sippy Downs (pictured), on the Sunshine Coast now on alert
The new case is in a man aged in his 50s who worked at the Sippy Downs campus of the University of the Sunshine Coast (pictured) on June 28 and June 29
Chief health officer Jeanette Young said the new infection would not change the decision to lift lockdown in some areas of the state.
'Contact tracing is already underway and we are contacting everyone that we can identify,' she said.
The new case will be counted in Saturday's total infection numbers.
Ms Palaszczuk earlier sparked backlash and ridicule after saying her state will be wearing masks until everyone is vaccinated - which could be a year away.
She made the comments at a press conference on Friday morning, where she announced Brisbane will remain in lockdown for another day after the three new local infections were acquired.
The current lockdown restrictions will be lifted for the Noosa and the rest of the Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Logan, Redlands, Gold Coast, Scenic Rim, Lockyer Valley, Somerset and Townsville local government areas.
'That means everyone will have to carry a mask on them and wear that mask whenever they're outside of their home but of course not when you're driving your vehicle ... At the moment until everyone gets their vaccine,' she said during the briefing.
With just seven per cent of Australia's population vaccinated, Queenslanders are set to be wearing masks until well into 2022 - or face fines of $200 for disobeying.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk made the misstep at a press conference on Friday morning, where she announced Brisbane will remain in lockdown for another day
In Queensland, citizens living in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Noosa and the wider Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Logan, Redlands, Moreton Bay, the Scenic Rim, the Lockyer Valley and Somerset regions must wear masks in public whether outdoors or inside.
Ms Palaszczuk's draconian suggestion was quickly met with criticism online from Queenslanders.
'Did the premier just say Queensland will have mandatory mask wearing until EVERYONE is vaccinated? Going to be a long long wait,' one woman wrote on social media.
'Just watched the three stooges Young, Palaszczuk and 'Bugs Bunny' Miles deliver their nauseating drivel,' wrote another.
'The Queensland premier just said she doesn't want her job any longer.'
Ms Palaszczuk says Brisbane and Moreton Bay will remain in lockdown for another day after three new cases emerged, particularly a mother and daughter from Carindale, in Brisbane's east, who have also tested positive and have spent time in the community while infectious.
Ms Palaszczuk says Brisbane and Moreton Bay will remain in lockdown for another day after the new cases emerged
The premier says that means the lockdown can not be relaxed in Brisbane and Moreton Bay until Saturday.
'Now we will come back early tomorrow morning, once your contact tracers get on top of this, and we'll look at the case numbers overnight,' Palaszczuk said.
'So I want to thank everyone for doing the right thing, but as you can see we've just got a situation at the moment, that has just come in, and we really need to give the people, our contact tracers the time to do that.'
Another case was reported as a contact of the Qatar Airways check-in desk staffer, who was announced as a case on Thursday, but authorities are not concerned about it.
Currently, people in the Noosa, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Logan, Redlands, Moreton Bay, Brisbane, Gold Coast, the Scenic Rim, the Lockyer Valley and Somerset regions are required to wear masks in public, both outdoors and inside
Deputy Premier Steven Miles has warned that the state could have to open up a new quarantine hotel with the system set to hit capacity on Friday
He said the state has 285 available rooms, but it's expecting 259 international arrivals during the day and an unknown number of domestic arrivals.
Mr Miles again called the federal Government to cut to quarantine caps.
'It will take seven days for our police and hotel quarantine coordinators to get a new hotel up and running and so it's absolutely critical that we see that cut in the number of international visitors and we would hope that the prime minister agrees to that at national cabinet today,' he said.
Meanwhile, Ms Palaszczuk said every eligible Australian should be offered a vaccine of their choice before the international borders are reopened.
'You think about it, if for example members of your family had not had that offer of the vaccine, and the virus came in, and they ended up on ventilator, you wouldn't forgive yourself,' she said.
'So I think every eligible Australian should have the opportunity to have been offered a vaccine and then I think we then need to look at (that).'
