COVID-19 UPDATE | Greater Brisbane Lockdown

In order to halt any potential spread of the UK COVID-19 strain that has been recently detected in a Brisbane hotel quarantine worker, from 6pm tonight (Friday 8 January) to 6pm Monday 11 January the Greater Brisbane Local Government Areas of Brisbane, Logan, Redbank, Ipswich & Moreton will be locked down.

Importantly, the Premier, Chief Health Officer and the Minister for Health also announced in this morning's press conference that anyone who has been in the Greater Brisbane area from 2 January onwards and has then moved around the state is also required to isolate from 6pm tonight to 6pm Monday with the same restrictions applying. For travellers, the Greater Brisbane area DOES include the Brisbane Airport.

If you have guests already staying with you (both in accommodation and privately) who have been in the Greater Brisbane area since 2 January, these people are asked to stay where they are and isolate for the lockdown period.

People will only be permitted to leave their home during the 3-day mandatory isolation period for the following reasons:

• Shopping for essentials, food and necessary supplies
• Medical or healthcare needs, including compassionate requirements
• Exercise with no more than one other person, unless all from the same household
• Providing care or assistance to an immediate family member
• Work, or volunteering, or study if it is not reasonably practicable to work or learn remotely
• Child custody arrangements
• Legal obligations
• Visit for end of life
• Attend funeral or wedding in line with restrictions

Masks will need to be worn everywhere in indicated Local Government Areas, except if people are at home.

If you have any COVID-19 symptoms at all, please get tested immediately and quarantine at home until you receive a negative result.

Click HERE for the full list of restrictions during this period and a helpful resource to answer any questions you may have

NATIONAL CABINET UPDATE

National Cabinet also reconvened today with the nation's leaders agreeing to pre-flight coronavirus testing for people travelling to Australia from the UK, as well as halving the number of international arrivals in NSW, Western Australia and Queensland until February 15 to curb the potential spread of the UK strain of COVID-19.

Passengers on Commonwealth international charter flights are already required to take a pre-flight COVID-19 test. However, all travellers to Australia must now return a negative test result prior to departure.

Mask wearing will also become mandatory in all domestic airports within Australia over the next week, but children and people with exemptions will not be required to wear them on domestic flights.

National Cabinet also agreed to international aircrew undergoing COVID-19 testing in Australia every seven days or on arrival, a new testing standard for quarantine workers (including those involved in transporting guests) where under the changes testing will now be conducted daily instead of every seven days. It was also agreed that National Cabinet will now meet every fortnight, or more often, if required.

Todays meeting comes off the back of the Prime Minister yesterday announcing that the Federal Government is aiming to begin administering COVID-19 vaccinations from next month to the vulnerable in the population. Mr Morrison said the aim would be to vaccinate 80,000 people each week to begin with, and for that to build over the next four to six weeks. He said the government was working towards having four million people vaccinated by the end of March.