Quick action needed to avoid ‘catastrophic results’

QUEENSLAND authorities will not rule out extending Brisbane’s lockdown as the 72hour race to contain the UK coronavirus mutation begins.

State leaders say the next three days will be critical to determining whether lockdowns and restrictions could be extended beyond Monday night.

The Sunshine State will go hard and go early to head off a potential COVID catastrophe, imposing a three-day lockdown across Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Logan, Ipswich and Redlands council areas.

Mask wearing will be mandated, leaving the home will only be allowed for essential purposes and restaurants will only be permitted to sell takeaway for the next three days.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the extraordinary steps in a bid to stop a prolonged lockdown, as Health Minister Yvette D’Ath warned that delayed action could see “significant, if not catastrophic results”.

Police will step up high-visibility policing, carry out interceptions and issue fines to those who recklessly and carelessly breach the rules.

Chief health officer Jeannette Young said action was needed now before there were cases of the virus in the community, insisting “we can’t put it back in the box” if numbers increased.

“It will be too late if on Monday I stand up here in front of you and say we’ve had 10 cases and they’ve been out in the community infecting people,” she said.

“We have to act really, really fast. We need to find every single case now.”

Major highways out of Brisbane were gridlocked on Friday afternoon as people attempted to flee the city before the evening lockdown, despite orders to isolate.