Queensland has recorded nine new local COVID-19 cases with the greater southeast to come out of lockdown, but an unlinked case will send Cairns into lockdown.
Seven of the nine cases were not infectious in the community and are linked to the Indooroopilly cluster in western Brisbane, which reached 111 cases on Sunday.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk emerged from 14-day hotel quarantine to announce that millions of people in the southeast will come out of an eight-day lockdown from 4pm.
“So it will end at 4pm, but we are not out of the woods,” she told reporters.
“I just want everyone to have a really good understanding that we are dealing with the Delta strain.
“It is highly, highly infectious, and I can tell you from my conversations in Tokyo, with people around the world, this strain is sweeping the world.”
Ms Palaszczuk said some restrictions will remain for two weeks including a face mask mandate.
All daycare workers and school staff must wear face masks at work too, as do high school students on school grounds.
Southeast residents can have 10 home visitors and hospital and aged care visited will be allowed again.
Weddings and funerals will be allowed 20 guests, and a capacity of one person per four square metre rule or 50 per cent seated will apply in venues.
Southeast residents are also being urged not to visit regional Queensland.
More than 11,000 people remain in home quarantine, mostly in western Brisbane.
Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said lockdown remains in place until 4pm, and police will be enforcing the other rules after it’s lifted.
“There are still a lot of people out there who do not carry and wear masks,” he said.
“I am going to bang on about this endlessly: please make sure you are wearing a mask, and take it with you.”
Meanwhile, two new cases on Sunday have also emerged outside Brisbane with authorities on high alert over one in the far north.
The unlinked case is Cairns is a taxi driver who has been infectious in the community for 10 days.
The premier said due to the risk Cairns and Yarrabah are being order into a three-day lockdown from 4pm on Sunday.
“So for the next three days the Cairns community. I know you can do this, I know it’s gonna be tough,” she said.
“But the next three days, I need you to stay at home, minimise your movements. Let’s test, test and test as much as we possibly can.”
Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the Cairns cases pose a huge risk to the community, with a number of the man’s family members unwell and being tested.
“I can’t afford to wait to do any further risk assessment,” Dr Young said.
The other new locally-acquired case on the Gold Coast has a low virus load, so authorities aren’t as concerned about it.
However, Dr Young still urged anyone with any symptoms to get tested.
“Please come forward and get tested, so we can work out what has happened there and whether there has been any spread,” she said.
“That is absolutely critical.”
The risk posed by the Delta variant has also convinced authorities to prioritise vaccinations for daycare and school staff, fly-in fly-out workers, and freight and distribution centre workers.
Ms Palaszczuk said those groups have been added to the “high risk” category meaning they will go to the front of the vaccination queue.
“The Delta strain has taken a heavy toll on our schools and we need to provide the best possible protection for staff and students,” the premier said.
AAP
