The chief health officer has indicated she’s unlikely to make a decision on ending the eight-day lockdown until after she sees the latest case numbers on Sunday morning.
Even as authorities praised Queenslanders for staying at home, wearing masks and getting vaccinated, Dr Jeannette Young said it was too early to tell whether the South-East was out of the woods.
Queensland reported 10 new locally acquired cases on Friday — five children and five adults all linked to the Indooroopilly cluster and all household contacts of existing cases.
Eight of the ten had not been infectious while in the community while two had been infectious in the community for one day.
Dr Young said even if the lockdown was lifted on Sunday 4pm, some restrictions would remain and people would still have to wear masks.
“Please keep wearing masks, these have made an enormous difference they really and truly have,” she said.
She also flagged the possibility that Queenslanders would have to wear masks until Christmas because it was one of the most effective tools in the arsenal against Delta until there was higher vaccination coverage.
“Hopefully it won’t be through to Christmas, but it might be,” she said.
Dr Young urged Queenslanders to keep up the good work of staying at home, wearing masks and coming forward in droves to get tested.
More than 48,000 people lined up to get swabbed on Thursday after two massive days with more than 50,000 tests.
“We’ve got to keep it up for the next few days; we’re not there yet. Please continue to come forward and get tested,” she said.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles said Queensland’s current position in its worst outbreak since the initial stage of the pandemic was “very, very encouraging”.
Mr Miles said Victoria, which was back in lockdown just seven days after its last one, would be declared a hotspot and travellers required to undergo hotel quarantine from 1am on Sunday.
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He described a worrying decline in mask compliance in the community and reiterated the value of masks by explaining that the virus had been spreading in settings where masks were not being worn, such as schools and homes.
“But in general, Queensland you’re doing an amazing job — you’re getting tested, you’re staying home, you’re doing the right thing,” he said.
“I’ve never felt prouder to be a Queenslander when I see the results.”
Health minister Yvette D’ath said vaccines were being delivered from today to 113 community pharmacies in South-East Queensland.
She urged anyone who had received their first AstraZeneca dose to get their second jab at eight weeks rather than 12 weeks.
Ms D’Ath said Queensland had the second-highest number of vaccinations administered in the country on Thursday.
Currently 38.19 per cent of Queenslanders have received their first dose and 19.95 per cent are fully vaccinated.
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