Brisbane’s lockdown could be extended as COVID-19 cases continue to grow.
On Tuesday, the total number of cases acquired by community transmission grew to eight, taking the total number of cases in two clusters to 15.
A government spokesperson told AAP on Wednesday morning that more cases were expected to emerge as a second nurse at the Princess Alexandra Hospital has tested positive.
The two new local cases detected in Brisbane are linked to a Princess Alexandra Hospital nurse who visited Byron Bay in New South Wales on the weekend of 27-28 March with her sister. There are 11 infections now connected to that cluster.
There are currently 2.5 million people in a three-day lockdown in Greater Brisbane, however it is still uncertain whether the lockdown will be lifted or extended over Easter and also be expanded to the Gold Coast.
Exposure sits are now at 81, with nine local venues in the Gold Coast put on alert on Tuesday night.
READ MORE: Brisbane lockdown thwarts Easter plans, families kept apart as Queensland cluster grows to 15
There are also alerts for another two venues across the border in Byron Bay, NSW.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said authorities are assessing the situation “day by day”, and she addressed criticism over the state’s slow vaccine rollout by stating that 41,000 frontline staff or 89 per cent had received their first jab which is expected to be completed over 48 hours.
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young has said that “people should be on alert, no matter where they are in Queensland”.