July 31, 2021
The South Burnett, Cherbourg, Toowoomba and Gympie council areas are NOT affected by the snap COVID-19 lockdown announced on Saturday morning.
However, anyone who has been in any of the 11 listed council areas since 1:00am on Saturday must follow the same restrictions, as well as members of the same household.
A lockdown will come into force at 4:00pm on Saturday for 11 council areas in south-east Queensland – including the Somerset Regional Council area.
The affected Local Government Areas are: Brisbane, Gold Coast, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Logan City, Moreton Bay, Noosa, Redland City, Scenic Rim, Somerset and Sunshine Coast.
South Burnett Mayor Brett Otto said it was critical that people who had been in any of these areas since 1:00am on Saturday also follow the restrictions as the latest coronavirus variant was so infectious.
Mask restrictions still apply to anyone who has been in any of those Council areas during the past 14 days.
Mayor Otto said he was concerned with the number of people who seemed to be rushing to return to the South Burnett before the 4:00pm deadline.
“I want to send a strong message to everyone in the community that if you have been in any of the 11 LGAs since 1:00am on Saturday you must go into lockdown, and this lockdown also applies to members of your household,” the Mayor said.
The latest restrictions were announced on Saturday morning by Deputy Premier Steven Miles at a media conference in Brisbane.
They follow the confirmation of six new locally acquired Delta cases of COVID-19 in the community, all linked to a 17-year-old pupil at Indooroopilly State High School who tested positive earlier in the week.
The teenager is believed to have contracted the virus from a University of Queensland medical student who had been tutoring her.
The girl’s parents and siblings have also tested positive as well as a teacher at Ironside State School at St Lucia, where one of the siblings attends.
Students and teachers at the two schools are in quarantine for 14 days.
Residents and visitors in the 11 councils areas can only leave home for four reasons:
- To buy essential items such as groceries or medications, but only within 10km of their homes.
- Essential work (if you can’t work from home). Schools and childcare will be closed (except for children of essential workers and vulnerable families)
- Exercise within 10km of home (but only with one person who is not from within your household)
- Healthcare or to provide help, care or support to a vulnerable person.
The Deputy Premier also said:
- Visitors to homes within the 11 LGAs will be banned.
- Funerals and weddings will be restricted to 10 people.
- Non-essential businesses will not be permitted to open.
- Pubs, clubs and cafes will be restricted to takeaway only.
- Cinemas, entertainment venues, hairdressers, gyms and places of worship will all be closed.
The Deputy Premier said experience from other States showed that the only way to beat the Delta variant was to move quickly and strongly.
“We must go hard and go early,” Dr Miles said.
