Zero cases, but another week of masks as we wait for one person to be happy
Queensland appears to have beaten the threat of another COVID-19 outbreak after no new cases of the infection were reported either in the community or in hotel quarantine overnight.
However, current rules on wearing masks outside the home and other restrictions will remain in place until at least next Friday, with chief health officer Jeannette Young wanting to confirm the more than 8600 people in quarantine in the state were free of coronavirus.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the outcome was āabsolutely great newsā but Dr Young said she was not ready to celebrate yet and signalled some restrictions may last until the state was fully vaccinated.
āNext week is going to be crucial,ā Palaszczuk said.
Asked when she believed Queensland would be out of danger, Young said: āI would hope that by next Friday we areā.
āIām not 100 per cent confident that we havenāt had some cases out there that might have been asymptomatic and they can still spread,ā she said.
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āThatās why we just need bit longer. This is too soon to say we are totally out of it.
āIām feeling more and more comfortable each day but not totally comfortable yet.ā
The news was in stark contract to the situation in NSW, where 44 new cases overnight have prompted the state government to impose shocking new restrictions on residents.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said that out of 44 new cases in NSW, 29 people were infectious while in the community, meaning that the virus was spreading quickly throughout the community.
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Of those people with the virus, one in their 20s was in intensive care.
Palaszczuk also revealed she had spoken to Queensland State of Origin coach Paul Green about Jai Arrowās breach of COVID restrictions.
āHe is very disappointed, I share his disappointment as well and I think it is a big wake up call for people to do the right thing,ā she said.
Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said police had handed outĀ 111 face masks on Thursday and issues three fines to people refusing to wear them.
He said police would always give people the chance to comply before issuing fines.
āTheyāll give you the mask so you can put it on,ā he said.
āIf you push back, you will face a fine and potentially even more serious offences.ā
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