Covid-19 News Updates

"Stay put": Queensland CHO reveals key metric for lockdown lifting as 16 new cases recorded

Update (1:57pm): Since this story was published more exposure sites have been listed by Queensland Health, including Brigidine College and a swim school in St Lucia.

Queensland has reported 16 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 overnight, with Chief Health Officer (CHO) Dr Jeannette Young encouraged by the fact all were linked to the Indooroopilly school cluster.

Two more schools have been added to the growing list of exposure sites as well - Holy Family School in Indooroopilly and St Aidans Anglican Girls' School in Corinda - and given the nature of the latest outbreak, nine of the new cases are young people.

The update lifts the total number of positive cases in the cluster to 47, after 34,718 Queenslanders came out to get tested yesterday - a figure that is still shy of the 40,000 daily testing goal set by the CHO.

There are now 7,995 people in quarantine in the state including more than 400 health workers, which is putting the health system under increased strain. 

Dr Young also confirmed all cardiac surgeons at the Queensland Children's Hospital (QCH) had to be in quarantine, so authorities have worked through how one of them will be able to operate on urgent cases as they arise.

"We do have a large proportion of of our critical health workers now in quarantine, so unfortunately we have had to delay some surgery and some outpatient work to manage that," she clarified.

When asked what it would take to lift the lockdown this coming Sunday, Dr Young gave an indication of what the state would need to achieve.

"I will want to have seen that any new cases that have been coming up have been in quarantine for their full infectious period," she said.

This cannot be said of the latest cases, some of whom have been infectious in the community for up to six days.

"It's too early in the outbreak to expect that all of these people will have been in quarantine," she added.

The CHO said 20 per cent of people infected with COVID-19 don't develop any symptoms but can still pass on the virus, which is why lockdowns work because they allow the virus to "burn out".

"We do need to continue testing throughout all of those 11 LGAs and throughout Queensland. It's really important so that we can just make sure that we don't have any other transmission events, any outbreaks happening," she said.

"Please don't move the virus. So wherever you are in the 11 LGAs, if you can at all just stay put so that that virus then doesn't move, because we know that there are people out there who could have been infected and have no symptoms.

"If you don't need to leave home, don't leave home."

She also clarified her recommendations for people who are not able to wear masks for medical reasons.

"If you cannot wear a mask because of a medical reason - and there are medical reasons for it - and you haven't been vaccinated, you are at really high risk, so stay home and the Care Army has been activated again and they will help if you can't organise food or essential goods," she said.

"Don't go out of your home if you can't wear a mask, I hope I'm being really clear.

"That is to protect yourself. Please don't find excuses to not wear a mask. I think masks have stopped the last 14 incursions of this virus into our state from spreading; it is just this 15th one that has led to spread. Masks are absolutely critical."

Dr Young said she was also pleased to see very little traffic on the roads this morning, which shows residents are listening to the authorities' recommendations about the clearest pathway out of lockdown.

Click here for the full list of updated exposure sites, which health authorities recommend you check regularly if you are in or have been in Queensland recently.

Updated at 10:47am AEST on 3 August 2021.

Domestic border closures see Qantas stand down 2,500 crew

Around 2,500 Qantas (ASX: QAN) and Jetstar employees will be stood down for approximately two months in response to COVID-19 outbreaks around Australia that have forced most domestic borders to be closed for an extended period of time.

The airline claims the stand down is a "temporary measure" to manage a significant drop in flying caused by COVID restrictions, particularly in Greater Sydney, and the knock-on border closures in all other states and territories.

Qantas says no job losses are expected.

"This is clearly the last thing we want to do, but we're now faced with an extended period of reduced flying and that means no work for a number of our people," Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said.

"We've absorbed a significant amount of cost since these recent lockdowns started and continued paying our people their full rosters despite thousands of cancelled flights."

The airline says today's decision will impact domestic pilots, cabin crew and airport workers, mostly in New South Wales but also in other jurisdictions.

Employees will be given two weeks' notice before the stand down takes effect, with pay continuing until mid-August. After August the airline says workers can claim government disaster payments.

Joyce said lockdowns and border closures decimated the domestic aviation sector last month.

"Qantas and Jetstar have gone from operating almost 100 per cent of their usual domestic flying in May to less than 40 per cent in July because of lockdown in three states," he said.

"Hopefully, once other states open back up to South Australia and Victoria in the next week or so, and the current outbreak in Brisbane is brought under control, our domestic flying will come back to around 50 to 60 per cent of normal levels.

"Based on current numbers, it's reasonable to assume that Sydney's borders will be closed for at least another two months. We know it will take a few weeks once the outbreak is under control before other states open to New South Wales and normal travel can resume."

The CEO said the successful rollout of the Federal Government's COVID-19 vaccination program is key to ensuring the industry can fly steady domestically, but issues surrounding international travel remain.

"This vaccine rollout means the end is in sight and the concept of lockdowns will be a thing of the past. Australia just needs more people rolling up their sleeves as more vaccine arrives.

"The challenge around opening international borders remain. There are still several thousand Qantas and Jetstar crew who normally fly internationally and who have been on long periods of stand down since the pandemic began.

"Higher vaccination rates are also key to being able to fly overseas again, and finally getting all our people back to work."

Updated at 9.18am AEST on 3 August 2021.

Rent relief incoming for commercial tenants in Victoria

New legislation will be introduced today by the Victorian Government to provide rent relief to commercial tenants that have experienced a loss in turnover of more than 30 per cent during the pandemic period.

The Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme will see eligible businesses benefit from rent relief, with tenants and landlords encouraged to enter negotiations as soon as possible.

Under the Scheme, relief will be calculated by comparing business turnover for the final quarter of FY21 with turnover from the pre-pandemic corresponding period in FY19.

Tenants will only be eligible if the drop between the two periods is greater than 30 per cent, and the decrease will also determine the amount of initial relief available to the tenant.

Businesses that were not operating in 2019 will not be excluded from the scheme, with special arrangements to be put in place to assess turnover impacts for new companies.

Eligibility for the scheme will be a one-time test; businesses which are eligible at the beginning of the scheme will remain eligible throughout, with the proportion of rent relief adjusted in line with their turnover.

Landlords will also receive assistance from the Government in the form of land tax relief of up to 25 per cent, and small landlords who can demonstrate "acute hardship" will be eligible to apply for payments as part of a $20 million fund.

"It's encouraging to see the way tenants and landlords are working together to achieve fair outcomes and this new legislation will ensure they get the support they need," Minister for Small Business Jaala Pulford said.

"We know many small businesses have had a tough time due to the pandemic, but these changes will provide them with more security going forward and help them get back on their feet."

Updated at 9.58am AEST on 3 August 2021.

SA returning to 50 per cent capacity limits from Thursday but mask mandate to remain

From midnight on Wednesday 4 August, a number of restrictions on businesses in South Australia will be eased, but many rules including mask mandates and private gatherings limits will remain as the state tentatively returns to pre-lockdown settings.

The eased restrictions will come a week after SA completed a seven-day lockdown which saw an outbreak of the Delta variant of COVID-19 successfully suppressed in the state.

As of 12.01am on Thursday 5 August, businesses can return to 50 per cent capacity or the one person per two square metre rule while gyms will move to the one per four square metre capacity rule.

Sports will return for competition but there will be some conditions with regards to the number of spectators that can attend.

Masks will still be mandated in all high risk settings, for personal care appointments, on public transport and in indoor public spaces where social distancing is difficult.

Home gatherings will remain limited to 10 people, singing and dancing will still be banned, and schools will keep mask restrictions in place.

The state's border bubble arrangements will also change slightly, allowing competitive sport to occur.

"Historically, [border bubble travel] has been for school, for shopping, medical or work-related services," SA Premier Steven Marshall said.

"We'll be adding a further one this week which is for people to attend sport - we recognise that in the country competitive sport is very important to mental health and wellbeing."

The state's Premier also encouraged South Australian residents currently in Southeast Queensland to consider returning home soon as there is a possibility travel restrictions could tighten if the state's outbreak worsens.

Currently SA is only allowing returning residents to travel from Southeast Queensland who must quarantine at home for 14 days on arrival.

"If they can return to South Australia now, this would be our advice. We don't know that this week is going to hold for Queensland," Marshall said.

"We know that the lockdown in Southeast Queensland has been moved from three days right through to Sunday this week.

"This is something everybody should consider at the moment because there is a possibility that we could move to level six restrictions for South Australian residents as with those people in New South Wales."

Updated at 12.32pm AEST on 2 August 2021.

NSW records 207 new locally acquired COVID cases and another death

With around a quarter of New South Wales' 207 new COVID-19 cases confirmed to have been in the community for their entire infectious period, the state's Premier has once again stressed the need for vaccination rates to continue improving this month.

"August is the month where all of us should come forward and get vaccinated," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

"I've been saying for some months that 80 per cent of the adult population vaccinated we get our freedoms beyond lockdowns, that's 10 million jabs.

"But clearly when we get to five million jabs or when we get to 9.2 million jabs, which is the 70 per cent number, we'll be able to have a bit more freedom."

The comments came after the state was notified of another COVID-19 related death - a man in his 90s from South West Sydney who had received one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine - bringing the total number of deaths connected to the current outbreak to 15.

Of today's 207 locally acquired COVID-19 cases, 89 were in isolation throughout their entire infectious period, 21 for part of their period and 51 for the entire period. The isolation status of 46 cases remains under investigation.

VIC tightens border bubble restrictions

Travelling across the border south into Victoria from border bubble communities in New South Wales is set to become more restricted from 11.59pm tomorrow when new rules kick in.

Announced today by the Victorian government the new rules will mean those in border communities without a travel permit must have one of six reasons to go south.

The six categories of permitted activity for border bubble residents without a permit are:

• For necessary goods or services
• For care and compassion reasons
• For paid or voluntary work
• For education
• To receive a COVID-19 vaccine
• Or for sport or exercise.

Fines will apply for cross-border travel for inessential reasons.

Updated at 11.49am AEST on 2 August 2021.

$260m business package released as Southeast Queensland lockdown extended to eight days

After reporting 13 new cases of COVID-19 linked to the Brisbane school cluster, the Queensland Government has concluded a Tuesday lockdown lift will be "insufficient" and has extended the stay-at-home orders until 4pm Sunday, 8 August.

Eligible businesses will receive a payment of $5,000 at an estimated cost of $260 million, on top of the COVID-19 disaster payments which were confirmed yesterday with the Federal Government's hotspot declaration for the locked-down areas.

Treasurer Cameron Dick noted previously retail and consumer spending had bounced back following short lockdowns, but the situation has been more challenging lately.

"But now we've had two lockdowns in the space of one month and that just hasn't allowed Queensland businesses to be able to recover from the impact of the first lockdown," Dick said.

"So today I'm announcing a $260 million package to support Queensland businesses, particularly small and medium sized enterprises. We'll be opening a 2021 COVID business support grant program that'll be $5,000 grants available to Queensland businesses; not just businesses in the lockdown area, but that'll be available to all Queensland businesses.

"That recognises the impact that the Delta variant has had on those businesses because it stopped the visitors, it stopped the tourists coming from other parts of the country who are also in lockdown."

Within the lockdown areas of Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Ipswich, Logan City, Redlands, Sunshine Coast, Noosa, Somerset, Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim and the Gold Coast, the government will also be ensuring those grants are available to large businesses that operate in the hospitality and tourism space.

"Can I just say to businesses across Queensland, thank you for your strength and resilience. You have been terrific, you've been fantastic during the pandemic, you've kept businesses going, you've kept our economy going, and now we're providing some support to you.

"Every lockdown is different and every lockdown requires a different response at multiple levels from government, but this is an important step.

"We're also calling on councils to look at how they can help businesses. The Federal Government's dug deep, the State Government's dug deep - we've gone into deficit and borrowed to help. We're looking to councils now to do their bit to help businesses in their affected local government areas as well.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath has also revealed the Delta variant in Queensland is leading to higher rates of hospitalisation than in NSW. She emphasised this outbreak was not like any seen before in the state, and the lockdown in turn was also much tougher.

"Please don't just rely on what you know have been the lockdown rules previously. This lockdown is harder for a good reason. We're trying to save lives," Minister D'Ath said.

"The number of people you're allowed in your households, which is zero, where you can go, what you can do, the rules are stricter this time...check for exposure sites on a regular basis, multiple times a day.

"Retail shopping is not essential. Food shopping is but only go out when you really need to go shopping and getting your groceries."

Dr Jeannette Young explained the source of the first infection in the outbreak - the 17-year-old student of Indooroopilly State High School (ISHS) - is still unknown, and her previous speculation that a University of Queensland (UQ) medical student passed it onto her has been disproven.

"Now I am very confident that the medical student did not take the virus into that household with five people in it where the 17-year-old was. One of that household gave it to the medical student, so I don't know where the missing link is," Dr Young said.

"All I know is we had two people arrive from overseas into the Brisbane International Airport on the 29th of June, and subsequently those two people were found to have the Delta variant with a particular whole genome sequence, and now this outbreak, 29 additional people later, are all clustering with those two.

"But I don't know how it's got from those two original people to this household of five."

There are now 31 cases linked to the cluster that became known with the reporting of the case from ISHS on Friday. Of the latest cases, seven are Ironside State School students, five are household or family contacts of theirs, and another is linked to a case from a karate school that trains at the school.

The Ekka has also been cancelled for Brisbane in light of the circumstances.

"This is the first time that we've seen an outbreak like this one spreading in schools amongst students, teachers and parents, and by extracurricular activities and public transport. It will likely see thousands of people subject to home quarantine directions," Deputy Premier Steven Miles said.

"Clearly now the lockdown extends beyond the intended start day of the Ekka, and that means we've had to make the very regrettable decision to advise the Ekka to cancel their event fo this year. It will not be able to go ahead.

"I know that's sad and disappointing for many Queenslanders who love their annual ritual, their annual trip to the Ekka - we just can't afford to have an event like that where people travel into town and circulate in in large numbers. The risk is too great."

He added there were still too many people on the road in Brisbane at the moment, and too many people out and about.

"If you absolutely have to leave your home, please make sure you wear a mask. Just because you worked in previous lockdowns doesn't mean you should work through this lockdown," Miles said.

"This is a message to employers. Does your staff really need to be coming into work? Do they need to be coming into the office? Can they be working from home? If the answer is yes, then that's where they should be," added Minister D'Ath.

"The obligation is as much as employers as it is the individual workers to ensure that their staff are staying home unless it's absolutely essential."

Click here for an updated list of exposure sites. At the time of writing, five schools have been listed as exposure sites - ISHS, Ironside, Brisbane Boys' Grammar, Brisbane Girls' Grammar, and St Peters Lutheran College, among numerous other sites in Southeast Queensland.

Updated at 10:15am AEST on 2 August 2021.

Berejiklian issues stern warning to would-be protesters as NSW records 170 new community cases

"Do not give the ones you love the most a death sentence," said New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

With New South Wales today recording 170 locally acquired cases of COVID-19, the state's Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned protesters planning to demonstrate against lockdowns in Sydney this weekend that they are putting lives at risk.

"Can I please warn against anybody taking up illegal activity and protesting tomorrow - you could be taking the disease home and passing it onto your parents, your siblings, your brothers and sisters," she said.

"Do not give the ones you love the most a death sentence.

"This Delta strain is contagious, it's deadly and it's affecting people of all ages."

The Premier's statements were backed up by NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller who said would-be protesters will be met by 1,000 police.

"We know this is such an important time for New South Wales in terms of winning the battle against the virus, and coming into town to protest is not the answer," Fuller said.

"If you think you can splinter from that and protest somewhere else in Greater Sydney, that force will be mobile and we'll be waiting for you."

Of today's 170 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19, 52 were in the community for part or all of their infectious period and 53 cases remain under investigation.

187 COVID-19 cases are currently in hospital, of which 58 are in intensive care and 24 are on ventilators.

The state's Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant today urged people to come forward and get tested as soon as any symptoms of the coronavirus present.

"Tragically, we've seen people present very late for care. When people present very late we haven't got the opportunity to provide them with the great care that our health services can provide and outcomes can be much poorer," Dr Chant said.

"Please get tested if you have COVID symptoms, and just to remind the community they are cough, fever, headache, loss of tastes and smells, sore throats, muscle aches and pains."

In order to mass vaccinate the cohort of Year 12 students in the eight local government areas (LGAs) of concern in Western Sydney (those being Fairfield, Canterbury Bankstown, Liverpool, Cumberland, Blacktown, Parramatta, Georges River and Campbelltown), who will return to face-to-face schooling on 16 August, a new immunisation hub will be opened soon.

As announced today by the Premier, from 9 August the Qudos Bank Arena will be transformed into a mass vaccination hub to give those Year 12 students the jab. Once it has performed that duty, it will become a regular hub for those in NSW to get inoculated.

Updated at 11.34am AEST on 30 July 2021.

Brisbane student tests positive to COVID: "I'm struggling to understand how she's acquired it"

Queensland Health is conducting whole genome sequencing to understand a new case of COVID-19, after a student from Brisbane's Indooroopilly State High School tested positive to the virus.

The 17-year-old female resides in the adjacent suburb of Taringa, but very little other information is known at this stage and Health Minister Yvette D'Ath has urged people to keep an eye out for updates.

"She became unwell yesterday and overnight her result has come back positive," D'Ath said, noting the student's family of five were all being tested as well.

"We're treating this as if the young lady was infectious from the 27th [of July] so she's been in the community for three days and at school for two days.

"I understand the school has already notified families and have closed down for a deep clean."

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young described the new case as quite concerning.

"I'm struggling to understand how she's acquired it," Dr Young said.

"We'll have to wait till we get whole genome sequencing results back later today to be able to work out from where she's got this.

"We do know that we have had 13 incursions of the virus into Queensland over the last six weeks, and we know that in any particular outbreak someone can get infected, not have symptoms, and then spread the virus to someone else which is why it's critically important that we all remain very, very cautious until the vast majority of people have been able to be vaccinated."

Updated at 8:47am AEST on 30 July 2021.

New rules for areas of concern as NSW records 239 new COVID cases

"Based on those numbers, we can only assume that things are likely to get worse before they get better," New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

New South Wales will increase its police presence in eight Western Sydney local government areas (LGAs) of concern to monitor compliance and crack down on uncooperative businesses as the state records 239 new cases of community transmission - the highest daily total in this latest outbreak and to date in 2021 for any state. 

The eight LGAs of concern (Fairfield, Canterbury Bankstown, Liverpool, Cumberland, Blacktown, Parramatta, Georges River and Campbelltown) are now under new rules that will see masks mandatory everywhere outside of the house, and the imposition of a 5km travel limit.

It is part of the state's latest crackdown on the areas of concern, with compliance to be monitored by "thousands" of additional police which will be deployed in the LGAs today and given new powers to close a worksite or business if health orders are flouted.

"The powers particularly will focus on those people who are not doing the right thing," NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said.

"Many will do the right thing - they will follow the health advice. They shouldn't be punished for the few who are doing the wrong thing."

In addition, the fine for not wearing a mask will be increased from $200 to $500 to allow for that extra level of compliance and ensure another layer of deterrence to those who would do the wrong thing.

Of today's 239 new COVID-19 cases, 88 were infectious in the community for all of part of their infectious period, and the isolation status of 70 cases remains under investigation.

"Most of these transmissions are occurring amongst households and in workplaces, but also in health settings," Premier Berejiklian said.

"If you are going to a pharmacist or GP, make sure you don't have symptoms. Make sure that you're asking for medical help from home."

Updated at 11.28am AEST on 29 July 2021.

Another week of masks for SEQ as authorities reveal backpacker case was turned away in WA

With all eyes on the Sydney COVID-19 outbreak where another month of lockdown was announced yesterday, the minor inconvenience of having to wear masks for another week will be a small price to pay for residents and visitors in Southeast Queensland.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young has repeatedly emphasised the beneficial - although not panacean - effects of mask wearing in containing the spread of COVID-19, so it is unsurprising the requirement has been extended for seven more days given the uncertainty around the spread from new cases.

There were no new community-transmitted cases of the virus announced overnight, but more details have emerged about yesterday's new case, most importantly that he flew to Western Australia after completing hotel quarantine and was sent back to Queensland, that he was in a shared room at a Brisbane hostel, and that he has the Alpha strain of COVID-19.

"I can report now that the genomic sequencing has come in from the gentleman who came in from the Philippines to Brisbane and who is staying at the Roma Street City Backpackers. What we have identified is he is a direct match with three other travellers who he was on two flights with - Philippines to PNG and PNG to Brisbane," Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said.

Those three travellers had different hotel quarantine arrangements to the case concerned who was at Quest Chermside, which D'Ath said confirmed he had contracted the virus while in transit on the plane or through the airport.

"We can confirm also that it is the alpha variant that we are dealing with. I want to thank the Backpackers because the manager there has been absolutely incredible, provided a lot of data which has allowed us to identify and test all individuals associated with that Backpackers," D'Ath said.

Authorities have received 59 negative results from the 62 people exposed to the gentleman in the hostel, with the remaining three results expected today as they were taken last night.

But it is the story of how he ended up at the backpackers that raises the most questions, particularly given his long incubation period with the virus.

"We know that around 1 per cent of people can have an incubation period of longer than 14 days, as has happened with this gentleman," Dr Young explained.

"When he got out of hotel quarantine here in Brisbane, had done his 14 days and got three negative tests, he then on-travelled to Western Australia but they turned him around - they put him into a hotel for two days till there was a suitable flight, and then he was placed on that flight and returned to Queensland.

"I'm just getting the details of that flight he was on. I don't have that yet, but we will contact trace the people who sat around him given he's got the Alpha variant."

Young said when the man arrived back in Brisbane he was already starting to have some symptoms of COVID-19 and upon arrival at the hostel he "essentially stayed in his room there because he was starting to feel increasingly unwell".

"The other two people in the room have tested negative which is good," she said.

Dr Young added the individuals who were at the hostel will be tested frequently.

"We're going to keep those people in the backpackers hotel, we're not moving them into a quarantine hotel, because we're quite comfortable with some extra support for that hotel. We can manage all of these people there - we'll just have to work out which of them have been close contacts and which [are] casual, so who needs to remain there and who we can allow to return to their normal lives.

"We still have those other outbreaks that we're managing with large numbers of contacts," she said, adding there were currently 2,000 people in home quarantine in Queensland.

"It's too early for us to relax at this stage, which is why I've asked that masks remain in place for the 11 LGAs (local government areas) for another week," she said.

Updated at 11:02am AEST on 29 July 2021.