Queensland says the rest of Australia needs to see NSW’s plan to contain the creep of COVID-19, as seven new low-risk cases were reported in Brisbane.
Annastacia Palaszczuk says every other state and territory needs to know exactly how NSW plans to get a handle on the virus as it takes hold well beyond Sydney.
NSW recorded 390 new local cases and two deaths on Friday, including 25 in the Dubbo area, five in the Hunter region, but thankfully none in Tamworth, Armadale and Northern Rivers, which remain in lockdown.
“It’s encroaching north, it’s encroaching south, it’s now in the ACT,” Ms Palaszczuk told reporters on Friday, ahead of national cabinet.
“We need to hear very clearly from NSW what their clear plan is for containment … it’s absolutely imperative that NSW contains this virus.”
Queensland is satisfied it has contained the Indooroopilly outbreak in Brisbane, which is now linked to 137 cases.
But any new cases won’t pose a public health risk because all contacts of the cluster have been in home quarantine.
Seven new locally acquired cases were reported on Friday, all linked to the Indooroopilly cluster and all in isolation during their infectious periods.
One is linked to St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School, the others to Ironside State School and Indooroopilly State High School. Among them were cases that tested positive on day 10, 11 and 12 of their 14-day quarantine period.
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Brisbane families are beginning to emerge from their quarantine periods. But for households with infected members, the isolation continues. With each new positive case, the 14-day quarantine period is reset and starts all over again.
There were no new cases in Cairns once more with a snap lockdown credited with halting further transmission there.
Queensland has announced new health orders for anyone who has been to the ACT, where there are now four cases.
Anyone who’s returned to Queensland but was in the ACT on or after August 9 must immediately go into home quarantine and get tested.
Anyone arriving from the ACT after 1am on Saturday will have to spend a fortnight in hotel quarantine.
One additional overseas acquired case was also reported.
Meanwhile the proportion of Australians intending to get vaccinated for COVID-19 has soared over the past month.
As Prime Minister Scott Morrison meets with state and territory leaders to discuss the pandemic response, a survey by the federal health department showed 79 per cent of Australians were likely to get, or already were, vaccinated.
This was up nine points on the survey result in July.
The national cabinet has set a goal of 70 per cent vaccination before some restrictions can start to be eased and 80 per cent for a major step forward in reopening.
The survey also showed concern about the general COVID-19 situation has risen to its highest level (45 per cent) since September last year when it was at 47 per cent.
Concern over the pandemic had dipped as low as 28 per cent in March.
The national cabinet will receive a detailed update on the vaccine rollout, as coronavirus continues to seep out of Sydney’s outbreak epicentre.
