Greater Brisbane will enter a three-day lockdown from 5pm Monday (local time) due to an outbreak of the UK strain of COVID-19. On Monday, there were four new cases of community transmission noted in the state and six cases from overseas travel.
Two of the four local cases are under investigation, and one is believed to be a nurse from the Princess Alexandra hospital.
There are currently 73 active cases – the majority of which were returned overseas travellers currently in hotel quarantine.
The residents of Australia’s third-most populous city will only be able to leave their homes for four reasons: food, exercise, essential work and medical reasons.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told reporters that mask-wearing is now compulsory for people in the rest of the state and home gatherings will be limited to 30 people.
“This is the UK strain. It is highly infectious. Now we need to do this now to avoid a longer lockdown,” Premier Palaszczuk said.
“We’ve seen what’s happened in other countries. I don’t want to see that happen to Queensland, I don’t want to see that happen to Australia.”
The restrictions for Brisbane include the areas of Logan, Moreton Bay, Ipswich and Redlands.